Victoria Police Respond to the Latest Dire Threat: Pokémon Go

As if you needed another reason to be glued to your phone, Pokémon Go has officially blown up since its Australian launch last Thursday. Despite being less than a week old, the app has nearly attracted more daily users than Twitter.

To find Pokémon, players have to explore their real-world surroundings as trainers—seeking out creatures in a landscape that mimics their GPS position. Similar to the original Nintendo series, players can catch and train their Pokémon, and they can challenge gyms which are marked in real-world locations.

While the game has earned praise for encouraging gamers to be active and explore their surroundings, it's already raised a few concerns. Victoria Police sergeant Mark Ribbink said authorities are anxious about the large amount of people playing Pokémon Go, wandering around staring at their phone screens, oblivious to their surroundings.

Safety concerns were raised a huge gathering at Federation Square on Saturday for a Pokémon party. Despite more than 2,000 players RSVPing, no one was hurt; however, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle remains sceptical.

"People are not watching out for cars, particularly along the city's narrow streets like Little Bourke and Little Collins," he told The Age. "I know Pokémon Go is very addictive but when you're looking at nothing but your mobile phone in a busy street, that puts you at risk."

Mayor Doyle acknowledged the app's popularity but highlighted the dangers associated with it. "It's really taken off but it's taken people's attention away from trams and traffic," he said.

Pokémon Go has mapped out the entirety of Melbourne's CBD in detail with Flinders Street and Southern Cross Station acting as hubs, where players can meet up to battle. The app is also making headlines overseas. A woman in the US found a body while wandering down to a local river, and many have warned of the dangers of using the app while driving.

A group in Missouri also used the app's GPS feature to set up a Pokéstop at an isolated location, where they were able to lure unsuspecting gamers and rob them at gunpoint.

Another report recently emerged claiming that a man had caused a serious accident on a highway playing Pokémon Go. It turned out to be fake, but it demonstrated the potential dangers the game could present.

It's still too early to judge the impact of the app, all we can do for now is speculate, and try to catch 'em all.

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