Cognitive scientists launch app to help police fight crime

SYDNEY, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A leading group of Australian police, lawyers and cognitive scientists on Tuesday launched a new app that can help victims and witnesses record vital information about crimes.

Designed at the University of Sydney, the iWitnessed app is based on research in Australia and the Britain that suggests memory can deteriorate rapidly 24 hours after an accident.

According to Professor Nicholas Cowdery QC at the Sydney Institute of Criminology, that is why it is imperative to record details of a crime as soon as possible.

"Contemporaneous notes, even if scribbled on the back of a napkin, can strengthen the reliability and strength of the evidence being given in court proceedings," he said.

The software's guided questioning system allows users to record this information as text, voice and images with all of the GPS and location data automatically time-stamped.

It then converts the information to PDF where it can easily be sent to police via a secure email address.

In addition to the memory preservation benefits, the app also provides direct links to support services that help victims recover from the psychological effects of trauma.

"This project places Australia at the forefront of international initiatives to improve the collection of eyewitness evidence and it will help in the investigation and prosecution of incidents," senior lecturer Dr Helen Paterson from the University of Sydney's School of Psychology Said.

The app has been made available for free download right across Australia. Enditem