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NYC Opens 911 Hotline To Pictures, Video

Posted by Soulskill on from the oh-the-possibilities dept.

Anti-Globalism brings news that New York City has set up a system to accept pictures and videos for their 911 and non-emergency hotlines. The files can come from cell phones, computers, and PDAs. Quoting: "Tipsters in New York City can now send photos and video ... to report crimes and quality-of-life issues such as potholes, officials announced Tuesday. Depending on the case, the images may be shared widely with the public, with police officers on patrol, individual detectives or other law enforcement agencies, according to city officials. The images may also be used to help in assessing and responding to emergencies."

2 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. Re:911? by spooje · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think this is a great addition. Just think of the 911 dispatcher being able to send a video of an injured person to a doctor or the EMS unit, allowing the caller to get expert medical advice.

    Also think of Colombine, where police may have a chance to get a look at the suspects or be able to pinpoint their location by ruling out places that they aren't.

    --
    Tea and kung-fu. Life is good. Rising Phoenix
  2. Re:911? by Tom90deg · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Dunno...I see a whole bunch of ways this can go wrong. First, Lets assume...oh...1 in a thousand people in NY actually send in a photo or video. There's 8.2 million people in New York, so that'd be 8,2000 pictures and videos. All of these need to be looked at closly, to make sure that they're important, and if so, what it shows. That's a lot of time and effort, and I don't know how good it'll be.

    It has great Potential, but that may be all it is, a great idea on paper.