Snap Report for Car Break-ins

Simpler reporting for car break-ins. Just snap photos and talk/chat with the tool (in 16+ languages), and it does the rest.

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Inspiration

We’re SF residents who’ve dealt with multiple car break-ins firsthand, seen one too many car windows smashed, and have heard plenty of frustration about the hassle of reporting these break-ins. We were inspired to improve this problem for ourselves, our friends, and all SF residents and visitors.

The problem/idea

Property crime is currently the #2 top concern of SF residents, but reporting is burdensome and underutilized. This means that the city is missing out on crucial data that could drive better policy and policing strategies to effectively address and reduce crime. Currently, reporting a car break-in on SFPD website is a cumbersome process, which takes 30+ minutes to complete and requires 50+ required fields, and is only supported in 3 languages.

Snap Report is an AI tool to make reporting easier and more accessible. We want to make your day a little better by cutting down the time spent on reporting the crime, getting you support for the next steps like fixing your car, and making sure your accessibility and language needs are met.

How we built it

You talk, we listen—just like telling a friend. You can snap a pic of the mess, your car, your driver's license, and speak or text what happened. Our system gets the gist and fills in the form for you. We support 16+ languages, as well as audio/voice input and output.

  • Users only need to snap a couple of photos (of the incident and their driver’s license) and we use computer vision models to infer all the necessary information, including user name, address, sex, incident time, location, car make and model, etc.
  • For users with visual disabilities, we use AI for voice recognition and text to speech.
  • We use LLM for the conversational interface, providing you with tips, asking the necessary information, and generating the incident narrative based on your inputs.
  • We also use LLM for multi-language support.
  • Once users submit their report, we use an AI agent to automate the form filling.
  • As additional support, the tools help users connect with nearby auto repair shops and gives tips on filing insurance claims
  • It also provides users with visual feedback, showing their reported visually on a heat map of car break-ins.

Impact on SF

Think of this tool as a bridge—connecting the community with their government in a way that's both high-tech and highly approachable. For citizens, it's a visible sign that their city cares and could enhance trust in law enforcement. When reporting is smooth and empathetic, people feel heard and supported. They're more likely to engage with their local government and see it as a reliable ally. And it’s a win-win for the government. Better data helps the city pinpoint hotspots, track trends, and allocate resources more effectively. Plus, it shows residents that their government is listening, innovating, and actively working to make their lives better. Happy residents, better data, smarter decisions.

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