Uber and Crime Stoppers International are teaming up in Jacksonville and four other U.S. cities to make neighborhoods safer.
Uber spokesperson Javi Correoso said the company has thousands of drivers in the Jacksonville area.
He said by partnering with Crime Stoppers those drivers will have what they need to let local authorities know about any crimes or other suspicious activity they see.
“And what we’re doing here is leveraging our platform so if they do encounter a situation to report to the authorities, they won’t have to figure out what’s the right number to call in Jacksonville. All of that information will be readily available to them on the Uber app,” said Correoso.
The pilot program launched Monday.
Wyllie Hodges with First Coast Crime Stoppers said he’s glad to see it. “You’ve got a huge organization and anytime we can partner with anyone and put more eyes on the street—more eyes and ears—I always say that’s a good thing. And I think a lot of people that normally wouldn’t be giving us information will be.”
Hodges said he understand Uber drivers will focus, in particular, on human trafficking, child exploitation and illegal trade. The other cities participating in the pilot UBER-Crime Stoppers partnership are Atlanta, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Indianapolis.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
