GuardianAire Community Safety System

Underserved minority communities suffer from disproportionately high crime rates that impacts resident’s ability to live safe, productive lives. Nationwide, predominantly African-American communities average five times as many violent crimes as predominantly white communities. According to Baltimore Open Data, in 2020, Baltimore residents were subject to almost 26,000 violent crime acts including 5,300 aggravated assaults and 1,700 street robberies.  

Existing approaches for improving neighborhood security involve long-term changes to environmental factors, or community intervention programs to stimulate dialogue. There are few options for addressing immediate security concerns outside of increased police activity. However, police responses are largely reactive and not preventative. Furthermore, the ongoing history of racially-biased policing and police brutality in minority communities is highly inflammatory and has instilled a generational distrust in law enforcement. A novel capability is needed for urban communities to self-administer proactive crime deterrent technology to reduce crime rates and create safer neighborhoods.

Urban crime impacts residents ability to live safe, productive lives. Racially-biased policing exacerbates the ever-growing tension with communities of color. GuardianAire is empowering communities with technology to protect themselves and deter crime before it ever happens, leading to reduced crime rates and greater prosperity for urban businesses and residents. If a resident feels unsafe, or plans to travel through an unsafe area, they can use a smartphone app to call a safety drone to escort them from above. The drones are locally managed by an established community organization who hires and trains trusted community members as 'guardians'. A community guardian uses the drone camera to monitor for potential threats, communicate to the resident through the app and, if needed, trigger a drone siren or spotlight to deter a crime act. The safety escort drones are housed in docking stations on neighborhood rooftops and only emerge when a resident requests it.

GuardianAire has built and tested an initial prototype and now holds a patent for the escort drone technology. GuardianAire is seeking investment funding to develop a refined prototype and launch a pilot program. GuardianAire is targeting multiple neighborhoods in NorthEast Baltimore to determine the optimal location to launch a pilot program.