Putting a Panic Button In Smartphone Users' Hands

theodp writes "If you own an Android phone, you may have inadvertently butt-dialed 911 from time-to-time. So, wonders Kix Panganiban, why don't our phones come with a universal 'Panic Button', that would make it just as easy to intentionally dial the police when it's truly needed? Panganiban envisions "a smartphone app that when triggered, would discreetly send out a distress message to contacts of your choice, and perhaps do some other functions that can get you out of bad (and maybe even life-threatening) situations." While a quick search reveals that some have taken a crack at apps that put a Panic Button in smartphone users' hands, are there good reasons why such a feature isn't just standard on mobile devices? And, with GPS and always-watching and always-listening tech only becoming cheaper and more ubiquitous, how far out in the future is it before your person can be continuously remotely monitored like your residence, even while mobile, and what might that look like?"

Comments

Yes, here's why...

[QuietLagoon]

are there good reasons why such a feature isn't just standard on mobile devices?

Florida Woman Calls 911 After McDonald's Runs Out of McNuggets

.
There are too many stupid people on this planet, and our emergency response people are already overworked without having to respond to McNugget shortages.

Samsung had this on their candy bar phones

[Skinkie]

Pressing 4 times volume down, it would allow you to trigger an emergency sms. Such combination could work for a typical smartphone as well, including position information.

Re:Samsung had this on their candy bar phones

[thegarbz]

That's missing the point of this which is discrete and customisable. When someone is pointing a gun at you shouting "emergency call" at Siri probably isn't the best course of action.

The problem

[kruach aum]

To be useful, any panic button should be so easily accessible that it is open to the same accidental triggering as butt-dials. I can't think of a good way to resolve this issue, but it is something any proper app maker will have to deal with.

Re:The problem

[erikkemperman]

The company I work at wanted to do something like this for, eg epilepsy patients. Triggered by accelerometers, would automagically try to contact from a preselected list of friends/relatives, using location tracking to find the nearest ones first. Would start to make loud noises and flash instructions on screen for passers by on how they might help. Escalate to real emergency services if need be. Pretty good idea, but we somehow never hot around to building it.

Of course there was potential for false alarms by dropping the device, but in that case it would be no problem for the patient to deactivate it.

Liability

[BenJeremy]

Who wants to be the first developer to get sued when your program doesn't dial 911 (perhaps because there is no signal)? Who wants to be the first developer sued because it got the location wrong?

Way too much liability potential. IT is too important a thing to mess up, and you can bet that something will mess up eventually, and the developer will be blamed, regardless of whether or not they are actually responsible.

Sigh.

[girlintraining]

Apparently people have already forgotten this has been done before. Before there were smart phones, there were just plain cell phones... tiny little indestructible bricks with flip-open LCDs. And it was thought that having a fast way to call 911, a panic button if you will, would be a useful feature. So pressing and holding '9' on these phones would connect you to emergency services.

This feature was redacted from all phones, everywhere, within a couple years, because it innundated emergency services with so-called "butt dials" and wrong numbers. You do not want '911' to be a one-button push on a mobile device. It ends badly.

*sigh*

[Runaway1956]

In today's world, few people seem to recognize an emergency situation. When I was growing up, the word "emergency" meant that someone's life was in jeopardy. One or more lives were in danger from an avalanche, a runaway train, a mad dog, a bank robber - something serious. And, people understood that they should avoid such emergency situations, or deal with the situation themselves.

Today? As you point out, very stupid people think that it's an emergency when they can't get their Chicken McNuggets.

Preposterous.

I say we go back to dealing with our own little emergencies, and just call the cops to come clean up after the fact. After all, when seconds count, the cops are only minutes away! Let's just grow up, learn to avoid and/or deal with emergencies, and stop fretting over phone apps.

Re:*sigh*

[AK Marc]

The police have worked their hardest to break that idea. I had a bike stolen. I called the non-emergency number to report it. I was told that to report a crime, I'd have to come to the station or dial 911. I've been to a station before, where the "guests" are treated like criminals, so I'd not do that. So the only practical way to report a non-emergency crime is to dial 911. The "stupid people" referred to wanted a police response because of a property disagreement. That they were black and inarticulate make news because we get to make fun of people for being stupid for doing what the police have explicitly told me was the "right" thing to do.

The system is designed to make people make stupid choices, so we can bash the user, rather than fix the problem. One guy in the search suggested was criminally deprived of his property. That's worthy of a 911 call, as the police have personally told me. But no, lets make fun of him because it was "just a McDonald's hamburger."

Re:*sigh*

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Where did you think the phrase "runs in the family" comes from?

Diarrhea . . . ?

Re:*sigh*

[mark-t]

Although I realize this is anecdotal, neither I, nor anyone else that I personally know has ever been treated like a criminal for going into a police station to report an incident. Nonetheless, it does mean that your generalization is not universal. If this is happening to you, it means you live in a city with a crappy police force.

Re:*sigh*

[mlts]

Sadly, we have plenty of institutions for the mentally ill... they are called private jails or private prisons.

Re:*sigh*

[AK Marc]

Put in a "holding cell" to fill out paperwork, and made to wait for an arraignment for someone to accept my papers. I can't just make a statement and walk out, or download forms and fill them out to drop off. Because it generates work for them, they try to make it as unpleasant as possible.

Re:*sigh*

[sumdumass]

I will bet it is a crappy police force or the guy dresses and talks like something they don't like.

In my home town, the cops are corrupt. Not all of them, but most of the ones you will ever meet. I specifically remember the cops pulling a friend over for speeding and then ripping his dash apart claiming he had to check the serial numbers on the radio to see if it was stolen- it was a crappy stock radio. The problem that started this was when the cop went back to his car to write the citation and call the information in, my friend turned on the radio to break the silence and that seemed to piss the cop off when he came back and heard Van Halen playing. So the serial numbers supposedly was correct or not in their stolen database and we were left on the side of the road with the dash torn apart, the radio in the passenger seat, and a speeding ticket. Complaints to the chief were met with he was just doing his job.

Another time, I saw a guy get pulled over in front of my house. The cops asked if they could search the car and he said as soon as you get a warrant. Then one of the officers yelled, what is that, is there someone in your trunk, hand cuffed the guy and sat him on the curb while they proceeded to go through the entire car. I remember busting up laughing when the guy yelled something about how in the hell is anyone going to fit under the spare tire. I got the evil eye from the cop and went inside. Evidently they didn't find anything because after hearing some cussing, I saw him drive off while watching through the window.

On the other hand, I have had to deal with the state police in many different states. They always seem to be professional, as kind as you can be without ignoring the reason you are interacting with them, and direct to the point. So I know there are good cops out there, I also know there are some ass hats with John Wayne syndrome or something too. I imagine the John Wayne wannabes eventually get in trouble for something and go to desk duty which might be the guys problem with going to his local police station.

Re:*sigh*

[AmiMoJo]

I have, multiple times. The police really don't like people reporting crimes, especially the kind that are really hard to solve like random thefts or property damage. Makes them look bad, higher crime rates and more unsolved cases.

What's the point?

[felrom]

I'm getting beaten. *Press panic button* *Wait 10 -15 minutes for the police to arrive.*

The police are there to write reports and do light investigation. They are not, and never were, a rapid response force, ready at a moment's notice to alleviate your panic.

The suggestion of panic buttons on phones is not only not helpful, it sends the problem further in the wrong direction. Some people will reason that since their phone has a panic button, they can take risks they might otherwise not.

Re:Theft is an emergency situation.

[beelsebob]

It may not necessarily be as urgent as other types of emergencies, but theft is often considered important enough for responsive police action.

If people's lives are not in danger, it's not an emergency.

You can quite happily call the police on their normal number to report a theft.