A brand new app permitting folks to report non-emergency issues on to Centro San Antonio, the nonprofit group that manages downtown’s Public Enchancment District, is anticipated to launch publicly this fall following the completion of a pilot program.
The app, known as “See Say,” will enable customers to report points reminiscent of graffiti, trash, sidewalk hazards, suspicious exercise and wellness considerations straight from their telephones, sending real-time alerts to Centro dispatchers who can route points to ambassador groups, disaster response personnel or, in some instances, the town’s 3-1-1 system.
Centro publicly introduced the pilot program this week, although the platform has already been working for roughly two months with downtown property house owners, legislation enforcement companions, homeless providers businesses and metropolis officers testing out the cell app.
Early information reveals practically 39% of reviews submitted through the pilot part concerned quality-of-life considerations or requests for help for folks showing to be in misery.
These incidents resulted in coordinated responses involving Centro’s disaster response group, homeless outreach organizations and, in some instances, legislation enforcement.
Centro’s disaster response group is meant to function a primary line of response for people in want, earlier than referring to associate businesses, an effort Centro says is meant to assist scale back pressure on present emergency response sources.
One other 36% of reviews concerned cleansing and upkeep considerations reminiscent of graffiti abatement, litter cleanup, trash elimination and energy washing requests.
Roughly 24% concerned points exterior Centro’s scope of labor, together with streetlight outages, sidewalk hazards and infrastructure considerations. These reviews had been redirected by the town’s 3-1-1 system.
Whereas residents can already report points throughout the town by the 3-1-1 app, Centro stated “See Say” is meant to complement — not compete with — the present platform.
The app is geographically centered on Centro’s 0.8-square-mile downtown service space inside the Public Enchancment District. A spokesperson for Centro added that they’re exploring alternatives to combine the app with the Metropolis’s 3-1-1 system.
In the course of the pilot part, common response and closure instances remained barely above three minutes from dispatch to decision.
Most reviews submitted by the app to this point have originated alongside Commerce Road, Navarro Road and St. Mary’s Road, in keeping with Centro. The group stated the knowledge helps information ambassador deployment methods and decide the place extra protection could also be wanted downtown.
Officers say early outcomes point out a possible want for staffing and operational capability to develop earlier than the app launches publicly as a way to keep response instances and present service ranges.
As soon as publicly launched, the app is anticipated to be accessible to residents, employees, enterprise operators, property house owners and guests within the downtown space. Centro additionally plans to work with Go to San Antonio to advertise the platform to conference attendees and downtown accommodations.
The applying value roughly $17,000 for its first yr, together with a $14,000 annual subscription and a one-time $3,000 setup payment, in keeping with Centro. Funding for the pilot is presently coming from the town’s Public Enchancment District price range which was renewed for one more decade in 2023.
Annual prices are anticipated to stay round $14,000 shifting ahead, although extra prices may emerge if the platform is built-in with different functions or metropolis methods.
