KEY POINTS:
As our streets get meaner and stories of botched 111 calls hit the headlines, a user-pays phone service has been launched for intimidated females - and the Police Minister has commended the private company.
Believed to be a New Zealand first, Feel Safe was set up by
former real estate agent Sheree Wilkins. She came up with the idea at Auckland Airport one night after a trip to Sydney, and wondered what she would do in an emergency or if she was attacked.
"What was running through my head was that if someone abducted me then no one would know. If I could have rung someone and told them what I was doing then I would have felt a lot more at ease," Wilkins, 32, told the Herald on Sunday.
Members pay $89.95 a year and are billed each month for calls they make at a rate of 20 cents a minute.
The service encourages clients to call an 0800 number in situations where they aren't in physical danger but want someone to talk to if they feel uncertain, or simply want the identification of the taxi driver they are travelling with to be recorded.
"I don't want people to place huge expectations on our company and think we are people's saviours," Wilkins said. "I have rung the police and they are quite gruff, quite threatening and very authoritative, whereas we are a warm, caring service."
While Wilkins concedes membership is low, the service has been trialled by friends and family who were gifted subscriptions and it is growing.
She has invested nearly $100,000 in an interactive computer system which tracks and records calls made to the firm's North Shore call centre.
The company plans to include a 24-hour breakdown and locksmith service designed for women.
The service rivals a free, similar system set up by Vodafone and Telecom last year in which customers can send a text message recording their movements, suspicions or fears.
Police can access the database if there is a need to inquire into somebody's movements before a crime. But Wilkins said that system is "just a machine" and can't respond in the same way as her business.
The Police Minister, Annette King, wrote to Wilkins in 2005 when details of the operation started emerging.
King commended Wilkins on her plan, adding that she hoped "it is helpful to those who use it". However she said the role of the police was important: "Should any people who use Feel Safe identify direct threats to their safety, the police must be advised immediately."
The minister's view has been echoedby security experts, whose response to the service has been mixed. Some have hailed Feel Safe as "a wonderful idea" while others have questioned the ability of the company to deliver if the public's response is greater than forecast.
Richard Howe, a senior lecturer at The National College of Security, said he would need to see evidence that Feel Safe had the resources and skills to operate effectively. He agreed it was a sign of the times that businesses like this existed: "You need to have faith in the police system but we all know there are issues with responsiveness.
"What does concern me with new things like this," he said, "is that you end up getting cowboys setting up similar companies and if they can't deliver then the safety of their members may be at risk."
Howe particularly liked Feel Safe's service to ring callers back a short time after initial contact to make sure they were okay.
Private investigator, author and broadcaster, Julia Hartley Moore, was also in two minds about Feel Safe. "I think something like this is needed but how effective it would be I'm not sure".
She recalled an incident last week in which her vehicle was bottled by a group of teenagers as she returned to her rural home.
"I called *555 and they stayed on the line with me until I felt safe again," Hartley Moore said. "Given their willingness to help in that situation, Feel Safe's service is made slightly redundant.
"You can get a call centre on the phone but what can they do when something happens?
"Usually when you need help it is physical help you require."
She said it was important Feel Safe was staffed by people trained to deal with emergencies.
feelsafe.co.nz
Avoid being a victim
* Don't leave your house key in an obvious place and don't leave windows open at night.
* Don't nip out for 10 minutes and leave the house unlocked.
* Always check who is outside before you open the door.
* Try to avoid jogging alone. If you can't, take a dog and your mobile phone and run along a busy route.
* Check your car before you get into it, and keep it locked while driving.
* Hold your keys between your fingers as a potential weapon.
* Park under street lights.
* Always take the lift instead of the stairs, especially at night.
* Always have a good look at the driver before getting into a cab and use a reputable taxi firm.
- HERALD ON SUNDAY