Getting the attention of your local officials is now easier than ever before. From reporting crime to fixing a broken sidewalk it's all at your finger tips. St. Petersburg is paving the way for you to complain by using the SeeClickFix App.
"It's a way for us to efficiently and effectively serve our citizens," said David Flintom, Director of the Mayor's Action Center, who helped launch the use of the app.
The city started using the app back in 2014 but through word of mouth it's grown tremendously. Now, Flintom says Treasure Island, Pinellas Park and others are using it or are looking into it.
It's as easy as taking a picture of a problem and using the phone's GPS to show them where it's at.
"Codes violations, sanitation requests, graffiti... you name it people submit it via ClickSeeFix," said Flintom.
In a matter of months, St. Pete has reached record-high numbers. 2,000 reported issues in August alone. Flintom says that's because it's so easy.
"We literally have the power of reporting these types of issues in the palm of our hands," he said.
Aaron Carmella lives in St. Pete. He's used the app quite a few times. He tells me he may not have reported a pothole, graffiti and littering to the city without it.
"They are the sort of things that you see them and you don't really think about calling to report those problems but when you are there playing with your kid you can take a quick picture," he said.
You may quickly be reporting a problem through your phone but it ends with the city. They are collecting data to truly identify problem areas such as at the intersection of 4th Avenue S and 54th St. S where there's been a lot of alleyway dumping.
Then the city can brainstorm more permanent ways of resolving it like installing security cameras for the alley.
Since the city first started using the app, they've received nearly 32,000 issue reports. They've fixed almost 17,000 of them, about a 53% fix rate. Flintom wants to raise that number.
