The apps that map violence – and keep Rio residents out of the crossfire

Rejecting official information channels, Rio's citizens are navigating their city using crowdsourced data on shootings and robberies as they happen

"A red spot on the map means gunfire, so I avoid going there," says Leonardo Duarte, who works on the streets for a rehabilitation clinic in Rio de Janeiro. Shootings and violence are routine in his neighbourhood of Vigirio Geral, a slum in the grip of conflict between rival drug-trafficking gangs. To stay out of danger when navigating the city he has a strategy: never go anywhere without checking his phone for live crime data.

An increasing number of Rio residents are subscribing to crowdsourcing apps and following the social network pages of crime-watch groups such as Basta de Violincia (No More Violence) and Realidade do Rio de Janeiro (Reality of Rio de Janeiro).