Frequently Asked Questions

Safecity was launched on 26 Dec 2012 as an immediate response to the gang rape of Jyoti Singh on a bus in Delhi. The idea was to create a supporting and accountable ecosystem where public spaces are safe for everyone including women and girls. We encourage reporting and documenting personal stories of sexual violence to make the issue more visible and have a more accurate database of incidents. The silence associated with sexual violence results in under-reporting of incidents and thus the official statistics do not reflect the true nature and size of the problem.

We focus on larger trends that are emerging in locations or by category. In several cases, on presenting the data, the police have taken action based on the reports we received. In Bandra, Mumbai there were several cases of chain-snatching which were informed to the police. Street lighting was improved and the beat patrol timings were changed. This resulted in an immediate decrease in the number of cases of chain-snatching.

Similary, in Lal Kuan, Delhi, there were many cases of groping, assault and sexual harassment against women. As the public toilets were closed and locked, the women and girls would go to a nearby jungle area to relieve themselves. We approached the local MLA with reports and video footage by DNA India and accompanied by Plan India’s Gender Resource Coordinator. As a result, the toilets were unlocked and ensured that they were maintained well.

For a full list of our case studies, please check here.

People who harass do so in their own comfort zones. Silence on the part of victims and bystanders makes the perpetrators more confident and the harassment only increases from cases like staring and indecent gestures to stalking and assault. An informal reporting system is required to share such information that could be trivial to report to the police but useful to someone else. While there is a move to make the implementation of legislations more effective, the question we ask is – as ordinary citizens, what can we do to create change?

We do not require you to reveal your name and identity. We do collect age, gender and other details of the incident but not personal information. If you choose to use the SOS function, we will collect the mobile number in that instance in order to get you the assistance you need.

Safecity provides a platform to collect, publish and share aggregated data of reported sexual violence. Data is open source and is available for individuals, communities and institutions to take necessary action. There is a provision on the app which facilitates guidance to contact the local police/hospitals if needed. Legal process to file a report and IPC information is available in the Legal resources page. This platform does not replace or substitute what is required by law.

Safecity is a crowdsourcing tool for incidents of sexual violence. It works best when we have substantial amounts of data in any given location or category. This data which is anonymous, gets aggregated as hot spots on a map indicating trends at a local level. This is an aid to prevent and to create a peaceful and safe environment for all.

No, for safety measures - to protect the privacy of individuals.

Individual benefit - You can improve your situational awareness by reading the reports and understanding the trends in a particular location. Accordingly you can be better prepared to respond to the potential danger. You may also use the data to engage with your community, local police, civic officials and college campus administration to institute better policies, procedures and preventive measures to address sexual violence. If you have a positive story to report, please do let us know by writing to us at [email protected]

Research - This data is open sourced but please do get in touch with us at [email protected] indicating the research and purpose for using the data. We would also like a copy of the research to publish on our website.

TWITTER – @pinthecreep with the hashtag #safecity.

FACEBOOK – Visit, like and share our facebook page

INSTAGRAM - @pinthecreep with the hashtag #safecity

You could be ambassadors by sharing the data with family and friends to increase the awareness in being safe.

Promote this information in residential areas, schools, colleges, cafes, restaurants, etc. to increase awareness and for the benefit of individuals.

Write blogs about Safecity and share our blog posts with your readers.

This app is owned by Red Dot Foundation Global, a 501c3 organisation. We aim to make cities and spaces safer for all, especially women and girls, through individual awareness, crowdsourced data, community engagement and institutional accountability. For more details please visit our website page.

We rely on you to use this tool in a responsible manner. We work on the patterns and trends emerging from the dataset and not necessarily base our decisions on individual cases. This serves as an additional dataset to aid in decision making.

This service is provided to you free of cost. But you may donate here.

Yes, this platform is open to anyone who wishes to report incidents of harassment

Yes, please read the app privacy terms policy document for further information

Yes, you will require internet connectivity to submit the report