Community Wolf uses AI and WhatsApp to improve crime reporting in South Africa

The platform streamlines communication between communities, law enforcement, and private security

Community Wolf founders. Photo: Mybroadband.co. Portal ERP South Africa. 

A new crime-reporting platform, Community Wolf, is changing the way South African communities share information about suspicious activity. By integrating artificial intelligence with WhatsApp, the initiative aims to improve response times and resource coordination between residents, law enforcement, and private security firms.

Founded by Nick Mills and Michael Houghton, Community Wolf was born from a simple observation: WhatsApp is widely used in South Africa, making it an ideal tool for real-time reporting. Instead of creating a separate app that people would need to download, the platform operates through a WhatsApp chatbot, allowing users to report incidents in their preferred language using text, voice messages, or images. The chatbot then processes the information and forwards it to relevant authorities, streamlining communication and improving situational awareness.

Mills and Houghton developed Community Wolf after recognizing a gap in crime reporting systems. Mills, who previously worked in the solar energy sector, saw how effective WhatsApp integration could be for logistics. Meanwhile, Houghton, with experience in AI, contributed technical expertise to process and analyze incoming reports efficiently. Their goal was to create a system that worked with existing community habits rather than requiring new behaviors.

Since its launch in October 2024, the platform has prioritized ease of use. Mills explains that the first core feature enabled users to report any suspicious activity by simply describing it, sending an image or voice note, and dropping a location pin. This approach ensures that reports are detailed and actionable while keeping the process quick and accessible.

To protect user information, all reports are encrypted using SHA-256 hashing before being shared with security teams. This safeguards sensitive data while ensuring that authorities can verify reports if false claims are suspected, preventing unnecessary diversion of resources.

Beyond direct reports, Community Wolf is also designed to extract intelligence from existing WhatsApp groups, a process being rolled out in phases:

• Training AI chatbots using messages from community groups to recognize relevant information.
• Deploying chatbots into these groups to automatically flag and categorize reports, reducing the burden on Community Policing Forum (CPF) members.
• Future plans include enabling chatbots to interact within these groups, though this depends on WhatsApp’s evolving policies.
• Strengthening Public-Private Cooperation

A key goal of Community Wolf is to bridge the gap between private security firms, law enforcement, and local communities. Mills emphasizes the importance of these entities working together, noting that effective crime prevention relies on coordinated efforts. The platform facilitates communication between South African Police Services (SAPS), private security providers, and neighborhood watch groups, ensuring that all stakeholders receive relevant updates in real-time.

Community Wolf is currently being tested in Stellenbosch, where SAPS, CPFs, and private security companies are actively using the platform. Instead of a single WhatsApp group where messages in multiple languages can cause confusion, Community Wolf communicates with each entity individually in their preferred language, improving clarity and efficiency.

Beyond crime reporting, Community Wolf offers on-demand crime reports for users looking to assess safety conditions in a specific area. The platform can also alert emergency contacts if a user fails to check in within a set timeframe, adding an extra layer of personal security.

With its ability to streamline communication, enhance data security, and facilitate collaboration between public and private entities, Community Wolf has the potential to reshape community safety in South Africa. Interested organizations and community leaders are encouraged to explore how the platform can be implemented in their areas.