Earlier this week, several news organizations ran stories about Crime Push, a just released smartphone app for reporting crimes. Based on the idea that the typical call to 9-1-1 fails to use many features of modern smartphones, Crime Push is attempting to change that by offering an easy to use reporting menu that will allow users to add pictures, video, and detailed location information about a crime they just witnessed. To learn more:
- Go here to read an article as published by WJLA News in Washington, D.C.
- Go here for the Crime Push home page
Comment: Although you have to give the inventors of this app credit for "thinking outside the box", shortly after this app was released folks started realizing this invention was only part of the solution. In order for information like this sent from a smartphone to be of value, there has to be a way to receive and use that information. To that end, remember three words: Technology - People - Policy. Take away any one of them and geospatial implementation in support of the Emergency Services Sector will not work. The Technology exists to do what these developers have envisioned, but the People (training) and Policies (implement the Technology) are not there to make it possible.
They have no customers and are using the media to try and get some it seems. I checked out the app and there are plenty of similar tips apps out there. However tip apps are not stupid enough to say report actual live crime for a few reasons... What if the server is down? The email is down? Using GPS, did it go to a town on the boarder of that town and the wrong jurisdiction? This is reckless in my opinion and police departments using the app are asking for problems...
ReplyDelete"Your" reckless in my opinion. Your ignorance/lack of knowledge regarding the specifics of this app is clear.
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