When young people go off to college, they should be entering a safe environment where they can learn, grow, and transition into the next chapter of life. That’s the perception, at least, or perhaps, the misconception. Surveys show that up to 82% of college students report being concerned about their personal safety on campus, and many feel that their college isn’t doing enough to protect them.
In the general population, there are five robberies for every four sexual assaults. But on a college campus, the ratio flips: for every one robbery, two college women are sexually assaulted. These risks aren’t mere speculations; they reflect the ongoing daily risks students face.
And it’s not just campuses. Across the country, communities are grappling with public safety concerns like retail theft, violent crime, under-resourced police departments, and delayed emergency responses. In the face of these complex challenges, technology is stepping in to fill the gap. From AI-powered threat detection to precise alert systems, a new generation of tools is quietly transforming how organizations manage, monitor, and maintain public safety to reduce risk in real time.
Here are five companies using tech to increase public safety across America.
1. SaferMobility
Rideshare apps can pinpoint your exact location at a crowded college party or on an unfamiliar street in a massive city, often within seconds. But if you’re a college student who places a mobile call to 911 near or on campus, and the call pings to an external cell tower, the call will need to be routed to campus police. This convoluted and often misunderstood process will cost you precious minutes during an emergency situation where you don’t have a second to spare. Additionally, college students are often apprehensive about calling 911 in emergency situations and more often find themselves in non-emergency crisis situations where a 911 call may not be warranted.
These are the problems SaferMobility is solving. Their College Campus Safety app uses geofencing technology to create a radius around campus in which GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals can pinpoint a student’s exact location, ensuring students get help fast. Rather than routing calls through municipal dispatchers, SaferMobility connects students directly to campus police in real time by cutting out the middleman. The app also includes a “Walk with Me” mobile escort feature and the ability to livestream video and audio during emergencies. These enhanced safety features have earned praise from students and, in particular, parents seeking a modernized campus safety solution. With a scalable platform driving rapid growth, SaferMobility is poised to dominate the $3 billion campus safety market. Backed by strong investor interest and expanding contracts in banking and retail, the company is on a rocket-ship trajectory to redefine public safety tech.
SaferMobility’s mission doesn’t stop at universities. The company has also developed two additional apps to keep people safe in high-risk environments. SafeBanker protects employees at financial institutions with geofenced prompts that allow them to discreetly trigger an alarm from their phone if something feels off, especially during high-risk moments like opening or closing a branch alone. Meanwhile, their SafeResource platform provides protection to vulnerable facilities like pharmacies, dispensaries, and data centers, deterring retail theft and targeted robbery attempts before they escalate.
In a world grappling with increasingly complex threats, SaferMobility is securing public spaces with precision-based, mobile-first protection.
2. Revelen AI
Over the last few years, between 17,000 and 21,000 Americans have died from a gunshot wound each year. Meanwhile, 50% of homicide cases will go unsolved. In gun-related homicides, this is often because traditional ballistics reports are resource and time-intensive, delaying investigations and stalling leads. But that gap is closing with Revelen AI’s Rapid Casing Analysis solution, a mobile forensic ballistics system powered by artificial intelligence and the ShotOptix scanner.
Unlike traditional forensic methods, which can take days or weeks, Revelen AI delivers real-time leads to investigators while they’re still at the scene. It then uploads the scans into an AI platform that matches ballistics evidence to weapons and suspects in minutes.
The system integrates with existing law enforcement databases, enhancing crime intelligence and enabling agencies to close cases faster. By targeting repeat offenders linked to firearm crimes, Revelen AI aims to reduce gun violence and strengthen community safety through smarter, faster investigations.
3. Everbridge
When disaster strikes, large organizations often face the challenge of reaching thousands, or even millions, of people quickly and clearly. Everbridge, a platform used by corporations, municipalities, hospitals, and universities, distributes alerts through multiple channels, including text, voice, and email, to ensure critical information reaches the right people, wherever they are — on-site, remote, or in transit.
The platform’s strength lies in its ability to coordinate large-scale notifications with targeted delivery. This means organizations can send tailored messages to specific buildings, teams, or regions without overwhelming non-essential personnel with alerts. During natural disasters, lockdowns, or severe weather events, this granularity is key during widespread emergencies like natural disasters, where clear, localized instructions can make all the difference.
Everbridge’s platform also includes automated workflows that trigger pre-defined emergency response protocols the moment a threat is detected. Its dashboard provides real-time information by aggregating data from weather feeds, infrastructure sensors, and other inputs to give leaders the information they need to assess risks, communicate clearly, and take decisive action when it matters most.
4. Rave Alert
While Everbridge supports broad-scale coordination, Rave Alert focuses on hyper-targeted communication. Designed to help schools, governments, and workplaces communicate quickly, the system allows administrators to send tailored alerts based on a person’s location, specific building, or user group, minimizing the chance of sending irrelevant messages to unaffected individuals.
Whether it’s a campus lockdown or public health emergency, Rave Alert lets institutions control their message movement via text, email, phone, or desktop to help responders engage with the individuals and groups directly affected.
Rather than relying on generalized announcements, Rave enables precision-level messaging that improves clarity, reduces confusion, and empowers individuals to respond appropriately in high-stress moments.
5. OnSolve
When a wildfire edges closer to your business or a string of robberies threatens to disrupt retail operations, you can’t afford to be caught off guard. OnSolve uses artificial intelligence to detect emerging threats and support rapid response across a range of scenarios by analyzing real-time data sources such as weather reports, social media activity, and government threat feeds.
The platform is widely used in corporate security, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors. Its ability to provide advanced notice and tailored threat insights gives leadership teams valuable lead time to make informed decisions and mitigate potential disruption. Rather than reacting to crises after they unfold, OnSolve equips organizations with the intelligence to anticipate and respond proactively.
Safer Communities Through Smarter Technology
As public safety grows increasingly complex, proactive, tech-enabled protection is essential to keeping the shared places we work, learn, and spend our time secure.
These companies are ensuring that people have access to help when they need it, before it’s too late. Whether it’s providing students with real-time access to campus police, helping decision-makers stay ahead of a fast-moving crisis, or enabling personalized alerts that guide people to safety, these solutions represent a shift toward smarter, faster, and more responsive public safety infrastructure.
And as public safety infrastructure evolves, some innovators are beginning to explore blockchain-based solutions — from encrypted identity credentials to immutable incident logs — that could add new layers of security and accountability. In a world where seconds matter, digital safety technology is helping communities stay one step ahead.
