JTA See & Say safety campaign

Target Audience: The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) launched a "See Something, Say Something" campaign similar to the one the U.S. Department of Homeland Security implemented after the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks. The JTA's See and Say app was designed to make it easier for anyone who saw a crime or suspicious activity at or near JTA properties to report it anonymously from the safety of their cell phones. While the target audience was the public at large, JTA customers and employees were the immediate audience.

Strategy Objective:The JTA's strategy behind creating the See and Say app for customers and employees was to drive home the point to say something if they saw something at every opportunity. The app was promoted internally, on social media, at public meetings and on safety messages throughout JTA properties including fire exits, bus stops, shelters and hubs, in restrooms, rack cards, closed-circuit TV monitors and on collateral promoting safety trends. The convenience of using the app made it easy for people to report without fear of retribution.

Situation Challenge: In an effort to improve safety and security in light of the mass shootings and other life-threatening activities occurring throughout America and the world, the JTA created the See and Say alert notification app to enhance internal and external communications and improve the response time between the Authority's Dispatch and Safety teams when responding to and mitigating suspicious activity. The app enables customers to report criminal behavior or suspicious packages and activities from their cell phones in a discreet manner for their own protection, and take and send real-time videos that capture what's going on.

Results Impact: Since implementing the See and Say campaign in January 2018, the results have been extremely favorable. Overall incidents at the JTA have decreased. For example, total incidents decreased 21% in 2018 compared to 2017. As of August 2018, there were 288 unique users of the app. The satisfaction of our customers has improved immensely since implementing the app. In an external survey about "Safety While Riding in JTA Vehicles," the satisfaction level increased from 91.1% in 2017 to 93.7% in 2018.

Why Submit: The JTA's See and Say app should win an APTA AdWheel Award because it is an innovative way to calm fears, enhance safety and give people a way to conveniently, safely and discreetly report crime and suspicious behavior. Riding a bus, walking down the street, taking a ferry and going to work should not pose a public threat. The more people can be encouraged to report threats they see to law enforcement, the sooner they can respond. By helping to ensure public safety, the See and Say app is a winner and underscores the JTA's investment in the community and the customers it serves.