Smart, Simple & Safe - SOS LINK

Stopping Sexual Predators - True Story

2010-06-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I was told a story about a man who took his two daughters, aged 8 and 10, to a mall in Chicago recently.

As he was shopping with them he witnessed an older man on an escalator, holding a cellphone underneath the skirt of a young girl standing above him on the escalator. As "Jim" saw this, he shouted at the perp, but he was about 100 yards away in a really busy mall. He went to the escalator and tried to find the man, but by the time he reached the next level the perp was gone and was no where to be found.

Jim just learned about SOS LINK this past Thursday and said that he could have used SOS LINK to take photos of the man (with the GPS location, plus a time and date stamp to provide to authorities) and have him identified. Because photos taken with SOS LINK are sent through a secure server, they cannot be tampered with (eg. photoshop) and can be used as evidence in a court of law.

This is a true story. And it's happened before -- a "Man caught taking photos under girl's skirt".

The sad reality is that technology continues to be used to abuse - but the good news is that we can also use the same technology to catch those in the act and stop them.

Options for Back-Up

2010-06-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just a quick entry today...

Occasionally people will ask me why they need SOS LINK if they could just call 911. Let me be clear - there is absolutely a role for 911 - but just not in every situation.

Recently, a friend was involved in an altercation with a driver with road rage. He followed her, was swearing at her, threatening her.... so she called 911. This gentleman lived on her street and she was fearful. What did they say at 911? Nothing. They told her this was not an emergency. He actually had to cause some harm first.

This really got me thinking about our idea of "emergency response" and what "help" looks like.

Now, not to put down those who man the phones at our 911 response centers, but here are a few questions...When was the last time you called them? If you can remember - let me ask you this:

How many questions did you need to answer before you were connected to the help you were looking for?
Have you ever been told that the reason you were calling was not an emergency?

Well, I have called before, and told that my situation was not emergent enough. I have called and been told that police would be right over - when it took over 8 hours to respond. But sometimes I just feel like I need a little extra help - like, my Dad, for example. Hence, the need for SOS LINK.

My 31 year old friend claimed that she just wanted a little back up with that driver with road rage - maybe not police - but she felt she needed someone. Would that driver have backed down if he knew that his picture was being taken? Possibly. Deterrents are powerful tools....

All I am saying is that it is nice to have options - even in an uncomfortable situation. Police? Friends? Family? Both? Well, you can have both. Yay for that.

Realtors & Working Alone

2010-06-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

I will admit that there have been times, in the past, when I thought being a realtor was a pretty cushy gig. In the housing explosion over the past few years it was not uncommon for realtors to make $40,000 commissions on properties that sold in a number of days. "What a great gig!', I thought.

But as many realtors will probably tell you, that's the exception and not the rule. As a buyer's agent, you are required to: see multiple properties, arrange viewings that work for the seller and potential buyers, drive all over town, work long hours, and spend lots of time away from your family. So yes, there is some work there that we don't always think about. But here's the kicker: what about safety?

When people are thinking about changing careers and they think about real estate, they don't necessarily think "oh, but that's a dangerous profession." That kind of statement is generally limited to police officers, fire fighters, crab fisherman (know the show "Deadliest Catch"?), and miners. Well, guess what? Real Estate is a dangerous business, too.

This week, a man was convicted for sexually assaulting a real estate agent (read about it here) back in March. He acted like he was looking to buy property, and assaulted her when they were alone. This was not an isolated incident... he had been trying to set up other agents, too.

Other sources confirm this alarming trend about violence against realtors. From Impact Safety:

"Violence in High Risk Professions:

An alarming trend of violence against real estate agents has emerged throughout the country in the last decade. Agent safety was cited as an important issue by nearly 90 percent of respondents in a 2003 Ohio Association of Realtors member survey. By comparison, safety concerns received no mention in a 1997 survey."

The bottom line is that we all, regardless of the 'perception' of safety (or lack thereof), need to do what we can to stay safe and think about prevention. Have a strategy/back up plan wherever you are -- and, maybe get SOS LINK, too.

Cheers,

Jill

Cutbacks and Consequences

2010-05-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

One of things everyone has had to do in these challenging economic times is make choices about where to spend their money. I’m not just talking about whether or not one should go out to dinner, or buy a new pair of shoes, or go on a nice vacation… Employees have been laid off, company budgets have been slashed, and services have been discontinued. We all know about this, and have heard the stories – but in a way I didn’t realize how far some cuts had gone. These choices have impacted many business practices – not just the bottom line.

This past week I was out with two friends – one is a nurse at hospital and the other is a domestic violence crisis counselor. I was talking to them about SOS LINK and explaining the many uses to them. My friend the nurse said, “Man, we need that on the floor.” I asked her why she thought that she would need something like that at work and she explained that due to budget cuts there was only one security office working at night at their hospital. That security guard was responsible for patrolling all of the floors AND driving around parking lots and checking on other work sites. One person for all of that.

She explained that they often ran into situations where they felt unsafe but security was unable to respond. She said that her work-life is often a series of ‘close calls.’ (To read a recent story about violence against nurses, click here.) I was shocked to hear that staff safety was not taken more seriously, but she explained that it was all about cutbacks and that patient care was (understandably) given the highest priority. Staff safety? Well, it would be nice, but…. She told me she was going to get SOS LINK and encourage her coworkers to do the same “since everyone keeps their phone on them anyway.”

The same went for my friend who works at the Domestic Violence shelter. She told me of a few stories of being trapped in uncomfortable situations – including the time when someone had broken in to the facility’s donation shed and she needed to be able to alert staff who would be coming on shift and walking right past the shed. She is going to get SOS LINK Team so that they are all connected. Again, having on site security would be nice, but it’s not a possibility for her organization. It’s company policy that workers keep their cell phones on them at all times – but having the ability to instantly take a photo of the situation and get that information to those who need it is really important. And as they say, a picture really is worth 1,000 words, isn’t it?

Be safe this weekend, everyone!

Jill

Practice What You Preach....

2010-05-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

It’s always easier to work for a business or organization when you believe in the cause. When buying my first car from a dealership, I remember asking the salesman what he drove and he sheepishly answered (truthfully, I am sure) “not this make.” That answer made me think twice, albeit very briefly, about my impending purchase. There really is something to be said about believing and using the products you claim to represent... and I am no exception.

I was at a nightclub this past weekend in a large metropolitan city. The club was on a well-lit street and there was visible police presence at major intersections. I was with two friends (a male and a female) and we had our wits about us. I didn’t feel unsafe leaving or walking the two blocks I needed to in order to catch a taxi… until we were approached by an individual who appeared to be in some kind of distress.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties. He was telling us that he was angry that “they” had already taken him to the hospital tonight, and that he “hates hospitals.” He clearly wanted to talk about the events of the evening and about those he believed were out to get him. He followed us for a few blocks and we did what we could to remove ourselves from the situation, but he was persistent. He eventually started swearing at a car in traffic, and he lost interest in us.

In terms of staying safe, we did everything ‘right’ for a night out: no one was intoxicated; we were in an area where there were lots of people (including police); it was well-lit; we were in a group of three (one of whom was a tall, somewhat intimidating man); and we weren’t engaging in any activities that would attract unwanted attention. But when we were approached I felt uneasy, and I had my hand on my Blackberry and was ready to use SOS LINK if I needed to. I felt better knowing that I had another tool to draw on if things did go sideways with the individual who was following us.

So, how does this tie in with the story about buying my first car? Well, I blog about SOS LINK because it’s something that I believe in, and clearly, something that I use. This isn’t a “schpeel” about some product – it’s a testament to my belief in the personal security options that my company develops and delivers. And that’s why we’re different – we’ve developed a product that everyone in the office, and our families, use. And I don’t think that anything speaks louder than that.

Until next time…. Jill

Business Travel - Safety with Smartphones

2010-05-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today I was researching women and business travel (I've been travelling a lot lately).

I came across an article about the rising influence of female business travellers, and in it they discuss the sharp increase over the last generation in the number of women who travel for business. It has been estimated that women make up 40-50% of all business travellers in North America today, up from 1% thirty years ago. The authors reported that this increase is related to both societal and economic changes,

"'Now, close to half of all business travelers are women.' The trend is attributable not only to the changing role of women in the economy, but also, in no small way, to changes in the economy itself.

The New York Times recently reported that 82 percent of all jobs cut since the outset of the current recession belonged to men, who are disproportionately represented in distressed industries such as manufacturing and construction."

So, what does this mean? Well, according to the writers it means offering more spa services, yoga mats, and bathtubs... but also an increasing attention to hotel security. They note,

"Women are particularly concerned about personal safety, for instance, so the Renaissance installed brighter lighting in hallways and other common areas where guests might find themselves alone, Dobis said. Guests can even arrange to have the lights in their rooms turned on before they return from dinner or a night meeting.

'We want to make them feel safe,' she said. 'We want to make them feel secure.'"

A blog featured on the The Economist's website was engaging in a little eyeball-rolling over the article, particularly over the reported offerings of trivial services such as personal concierges who could run out to get that perfect shade of lipstick, having additional in-room accessories such as curling irons, and supplying their females guests 'fashion tape' to "keep that blouse in place." The blogger noted,

"There's an element of silliness to this story. Women have been travelling for business for years, and both sexes need the basic things a hotel provides. Everyone wants a safe, comfortable place to sleep, wash up, and maybe get some work done."

Interesting to note that both pieces touched on safety... and I have to agree that every business traveller, regardless of gender, probably wants - and expects a "safe, comfortable place."

It's good to know that there appears to be a conscious effort to improve hotel security. But improving security need not be limited to hotels... For example, what about:

Parkades?
Airports?
Cab rides?
New cities?
Unknown neighborhoods?

It's not just about improving hotel security - it's about protecting everyone's personal security, period. The use of SOS LINK products (SOS LINK Personal 2, SOS LINK Personal Plus, SOS LINK Team) will give any business traveller an additional layer of personal security when they are travelling - so spread the word!

In the words of Zahara Heckscher, "Stay Safe But Don't Stay Home!"

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

2010-04-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

April has been designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) by the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre. Sexual assaults are one of the most difficult crimes to wrap one's mind around - at least it is for me. A few shocking stats:

In the US:

It is estimated that for every 1,000 women attending a college or university, there are 35 incidents of rape each academic year.1

1 Fisher, B.S., Cullen, F.T., & Turner, M.G. (2000), The Sexual Victimization of College Women, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

In Canada:

Over half (59%) of all victims of police-reported sexual assault were children and youth under the age of 18. The rate of sexual assaults against children and youth was over 1.5 times higher than the rate for young adults aged 18 to 24.

Child and Youth Victims of Police-reported Violent Crime, 2008
So what can we do? The National Crime Prevention Council has a few tips to reduce your chances of being sexually assaulted. Follow these tips from the National Crime Prevention Council:
- Be aware of your surroundings — who’s out there and what’s going on.
- Walk with confidence. The more confident you look, the stronger you appear.
- Know your limits when it comes to using alcohol.
- Be assertive — don’t let anyone violate your space.
- Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings, leave.
- Don’t prop open self-locking doors.
- Lock your door and your windows, even if you leave for just a few minutes.
- Watch your keys. Don’t lend them. Don’t leave them. Don’t lose them. And don’t put your name and address on the key ring.
- Watch out for unwanted visitors. Know who’s on the other side of the door before you open it.
- Be wary of isolated spots, like underground garages, offices after business hours, and apartment laundry rooms.
- Avoid walking or jogging alone, especially at night. Vary your route. Stay in well-traveled, well-lit areas.
- Have your key ready to use before you reach the door — home, car, or work.
- Park in well-lit areas and lock the car, even if you’ll only be gone a few minutes.
- Drive on well-traveled streets, with doors and windows locked.
- Never hitchhike or pick up a hitchhiker.
- Keep your car in good shape with plenty of gas in the tank.
- In case of car trouble, call for help on your cellular phone. If you don’t have a phone, put the hood up, lock the doors, and put a banner in the rear mirror that says, “Help. Call police.”
And I'll add one here: Get a smartphone and install the SOS LINK app so that you (or your loved ones) can alert your/their friends and family in case of an emergency.

90 seconds... is all the time you need to LEARN about SOS LINK!

2010-04-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I apologize - it has been awhile since my last post. We've been busy here at SOS LINK, getting ready to launch new products and working on all sorts of new things to show you. It has been a really exciting spring!

Our mission here at SOS LINK is to promote personal safety. We believe in our products and know that our apps will have an incredible impact in the community. We are confident that our range of SOS LINK apps will not only be able to identify perpetrators, but will ultimately work to PREVENT acts of violence or aggression. So, of course, we want to spread the news!

And thus a BIG update for you...

We've got some new videos about our product up on YouTube! Actually, we have our own channel now! Check out www.youtube.com/soslinkcom to see our videos and learn a little more about us. In 90 seconds, you will learn more about how you, and your loved ones, can use SOS LINK to stay safe.

When you have watched our videos, I hope that you will send the link to the videos to all of your friends, your friends' parents, your colleagues, your family, the parents of your children's friends, your child's school teacher... you get the drift. We want to do what we can to let people know about these smart, simple and safe apps that people can use to help keep themselves safe.

As always, be sure to keep checking www.soslink.com for product updates and for information about how to get our apps.

2010-02-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

From the headlines today:

"A Canadian court was to hear a tape recording Tuesday of a former immigration judge who is alleged to have sought sex from a South Korean woman in exchange for granting her asylum, court officials said."

"...Prosecutors allege Ellis told Ji-Hye Kim he would deny her refugee claim in September 2006 unless the then 25-year-old slept with him."

The above sentences could be a lead-in to many a rant. But essentially, this is an example of exploitation at it's finest.

young woman & older man? check
language & cultural issues? check
major power differential? check
asylum seeker who would have a lot to lose if she was to be sent back? check
agressor who is well known and widely respected in the community? check

So, who is going to believe the young asylum seeker who, theoretically, would have nothing to lose by pulling out all the stops to stay in Canada?

"...At the start of the trial on Monday, the prosecution read excerpts of their conversation, which was secretly recorded by Kim and her boyfriend. The audio and video recordings were to be played for the court on Tuesday, said court officials."

What if she hadn't taped the conversation? Really, who would have believed her?

The Implications...

Technology isn't always the mean "big brother" we tend to fear and whine about. Maybe we should consider that it may just be more like an older brother that will be there to intervene ...if anyone decides to mess with his little sister.

And this, my friends, can be a very good thing.

Here's to our society's increasing ability to be better able to catch aggressors in the act - be they school yard bullies, thieves, or immigration judges.

Youth, Cellphones and "Freedom"

2010-02-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

We've all heard the musings about how technology is changing our culture - for better or for worse.

The Standard Talking Points

The Cons:

Distracted drivers (legislation is already in place, or on the way, in many jurisdictions in N. America)
The rudeness of people talking loudly on their phones in public places (no, I don't want to hear about your sister's divorce issues while on public transit)
The health impacts of extended cell phone use (our brains as super-antennas?)
Environmental impact (phones become passe faster than any other technology out there - meaning more waste in e-recycling facilities or in regular old landfills)

The Pros:

I can check my email anywhere!
I can be reached in case of emergency
I can reach you in the event of a castastrophe
I can play cool games on my phone when I am waiting (commuting, car broken down, doctor is running 40 minutes late again...)

And the other cons - often specific to teens:

Parents who don't understand how their kid manages to send 5,000 texts a month - yet they have the bills to prove it
Frustration with teenagers who send instant messages - to the person sitting beside them
Obnoxious ringtones with the most recent Top 40 (pop, alt, hip-hop or other)

The mobile phone has come to be seen, by some, as little more than an "entertainment box" for youth. But some are challenging this assessment. A comment from a telecom union states that "cellular telephony has brought great and new freedoms for youngsters – and increased security and peace of mind for their parents. It is now possible for young people equipped with cellphones to stay in touch with their parents and for parents to stay in touch with their children. This can help reduce or eliminate the need for meaningless restrictions on young people that were only in place because of parents’ anxiety as to their childrens’ activities or whereabouts." (http://bit.ly/aZ7cmO).

The 'stay in touch' part of the above argument isn't new or particularly engaging but, prior to reading that article, I had never thought of restrictions on youth as "meaningless." Overboard, maybe. Ridiculous, perhaps. This is the new twist.

The suggestion that restrictions are meaningless today could actually give a little weight to the arguments that tweens and teens use when protesting things like curfews, being denied permission to go to new areas, and the suspicion around the introduction of new friends. (Come on, who hasn't cried, "but mommmmmm, that's so unfair!" ?)

And the Implications...
If freedom, then, is the argument how do parents ensure that their kids are well-equipped to handle the risky situations that come with this new-found freedom?

Well, a couple of tips:

A cell phone is only helpful if it is turned on
If you only have it on you sometimes, it may not be so handy.
It actually becomes a tool to use in case of emergency when it's properly programmed (eg. have 1-touch emergency programming in place)

SOS LINK can help with item #3. In fact, we can do more than that. In a compromising situation, users simply push the “START” button on their smartphone. Then, automatically:

An optional audio alert starts warning the aggressor that their photo is being taken and sent;
Images are then captured and instantly emailed through our secure server to individuals that have been pre-registered as ‘helpers’; and
The designated helper(s) receive the images, plus the time, date and GPS location of the individual on a Google Map. The software takes approximately 60 images in 60 seconds, helpers usually receive these alert emails within 15 seconds, and they can respond.

Check out www.soslink.com to learn more. The smartphone isn't just about cool ringtones, games and incessant messaging. It can actually be one-touch lifeline.

Who knew that that this is where we would end up when the 8 pound cell phone was first introduced?

Our "Spidey Senses" & The Seattle Tunnel Beating

2010-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

We were all shocked and disgusted by the “tunnel beating” that happened in Seattle on January 28, 2010. Video released showed a 15 year old girl being beaten in a subway station while others stood by and watched.

The girl reported that there had been a confrontation earlier, and that she felt that she was in danger prior to the beating. The victim stated that she had approached police officers and transit officers prior to the attack, but that her reports of feeling threatened were not taken seriously. What might have happened to the 15 year old, if she had been able to alert her family that she was in trouble? How might the outcome have changed? We can't say with any certainty that the violence would have stopped, but she would have been able to immediately alert her family and summon support. In her case, this might have made quite a difference. This is the kind of information that parents want to have - they want to know when their kids are in trouble...

Preventable?

Unfortunately, the situation described above is not an isolated incident. A few recent stats:

In 2005, 7.4% of youths ages 12-17 reported that, in at least one instance, they had attacked others with intent to seriously hurt them. (2005 SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health)
Nationwide, 18.5% of high school students had carried a weapon (gun, knife, or club) one or more days in the last 30 days. The prevalence of having carried a weapon was higher among male (29.8%) than female (7.1%) students. (2005 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance)

Implications
So, youth violence is a real issue and, as we've seen above, not all youth are able to effectively advocate for themselves and they are not always taken seriously. Technology won't change social stigmas, nor will it prevent all violence. But it is clearly another tool to have in the toolbox - for both youth and their parents - to help keep kids safe.

Welcome to Smart, Simple & Safe - The SOS LINK Blog

2010-02-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome new readers!

My name is Jill and I am with SOS LINK. SOS LINK™ is a personal security software company (www.soslink.com) that makes smart, simple, and inexpensive personal security technology that runs on smartphones – such as the iPhone or Blackberry. Thanks for checking out our blog...

The Writer & The Relationship with SOS LINK
I have a background in social services research and, prior to joining SOS LINK, spent the last several years working within the mental health sector.

I became familiar with SOS LINK when we were looking for a product that would help to keep our clinicians safe while they were working outside of the office - usually in the homes of clients. Many of the clients had psychotic disorders and addictions and we needed to find a way to protect our staff in the event that they (or the client) experienced a crisis or emergency. We looked at several options - pagers, GPS locators, call in services... but many were clunky, slow to respond and, ultimately, too expensive for our use. Then I found out about SOS LINK, and the rest is history... here I am.

To Fear, or Not to Fear - That's Actually Not the Question
So, a little more about me. I don't believe in fear-mongering, nor do I jump on the RISK RISK RISK bandwagon.

But I am a realist.

I get that there are reasons to be concerned about one's personal safety:
- there are people out who do not follow social norms,
- there are perpetrators of domestic abuse,
- there are individuals who do not respect the personal space of others,
- there are people who commit crimes (robberies, etc.) to support their addictions, and
- there are people who are simply deviants.
And the list goes on. There is a need to protect ourselves and we all can't become martial artists or live in a bubble where everything is safe and perfect. That's just not realistic. So it's not about whether or not we should be afraid of threats in our communities (the 'to fear or not to fear' question), but how we can be prepared to face them, should anything happen.

The SOS LINK Solution
I chose to join the SOS LINK team because I believe in the product. I think that most people who already use a Blackberry or iPhone wouldn't mind having an extra layer of security - especially since the technology is inexpensive and only requires one to press a "START" button. (This is what is often referred to as a 'low-barrier' solution; that is - one need not be a rocket scientist nor independently wealthy to use it.) In fact, I think most people would welcome such a product and we are committed to telling as many people about this new security option as possible. Hence the blog.

So, keep checking back. I'll be talking about how SOS LINK fits in to this brave new world - and how we can all be a little bit safer.

Cheers,

Jill