Can wireless technology help fight
crime?
One
early fall morning, an Oklahoma woman came close to death. Soon after
Shannon Haight pulled her car into the company parking lot, a man
approached her and asked for directions. The next thing she knew, she
was fighting for her life. The man, wanted in another state for rape
and kidnapping charges, shoved Haight into his trunk and drove away.
Luckily, Haight was prepared. She had a
weapon. Still in the trunk, she reached into her purse and pulled out
-- a cell phone?
Thanks to her quick thinking, the
frantic woman was able to get help by dialing her boyfriend, who
notified 911. Less than an hour after being forced into a strange
car, Haight was safe, and the criminal was on his way to prison.
Stories like Haight's are popping up
all around the world. Wireless technology isn't just a convenient
luxury anymore; it's a powerful tool for preventing crime. People
equipped with camera phones can snap pictures of crimes in progress
and beam them to the authorities, and witnesses hesitant to call in
crime tips can communicate through text messages.
Cell phones aren't the only wireless weapon. Wireless
surveillance cameras, GPS systems and Internet networks increasingly
are being used by crime-fighting units from Dallas to Denmark.
With the introduction of in-car computers, police officers who used to spend hours filing reports at the station can now write them in a few hours from their patrol cars. One study conducted by a wireless network provider determined that a policeman assisted by a highly connected network equals the output of five police officers without one
With the introduction of in-car computers, police officers who used to spend hours filing reports at the station can now write them in a few hours from their patrol cars. One study conducted by a wireless network provider determined that a policeman assisted by a highly connected network equals the output of five police officers without one
Wireless Crime-Fighting: Cell Phones,
Cameras and GPS
More than half of the 741 million cell
phones in the world are equipped with some type of photo capability
[source: Reardon]. You're probably well aware of this, having taken
countless pictures of you and your friends. Some of these photos do
more than just preserve memories; they fight crime. Police in London
used cell phone images to find the terrorists behind the 2005
bombings. Elsewhere a man who tried to abduct four teenage girls was
arrested a month later when the same girls spotted him and took a
picture of his license plate.
Amateur sleuths also can send their
digital videos and pictures of crimes in progress to 911 call centers
in places like New York City. A new technology allows the sent images
to be incorporated directly into the record of the related call. They
also can be forwarded to emergency crews on their way to the scene.
Linking the images with the specific call makes them easy to find
later for use in an investigation.
Although surveillance cameras
themselves are nothing new, wireless ones can be installed where
wired ones can't, such as in out-of-the way areas and in moving
objects like patrol cars. They also cost less than wired cameras and
are easily moved to new locations to follow high-crime areas.
Some police forces also use global
positioning systems, or GPS, in their vehicles. This locator
technology can alert 911 dispatchers to which officers might be able
to respond to an emergency the quickest, as well as allow those
dispatchers to reassure panicky callers who want to know how far away
help is. In addition, if an officer ever gets into trouble and can't
radio his location back to base, the GPS will broadcast the officer's
position, speed of travel and location.
Another wireless technology has even
been used on the likes of Martha Stewart. Wireless radio-frequency
identification (RFID) tags are often used by police to keep tabs on
parolees and people on house arrest. The tags relay a signal that
monitors the subject's whereabouts, notifying the police if the
subject is entering an area he or she shouldn't.
If your cell phone doesn't have a
camera, have no fear, you can text yourself to safety. Find out how
text messaging assists investigations next.
Text messaging, the favorite pastime of
kids everywhere, is becoming a widely accepted way to crack down on
crime. Police agencies around the world are encouraging citizens to
use text messages to report crimes and send in tips. Not only are
text messages more discreet and safer in certain situations like
kidnappings or burglaries, but people may be more likely to
communicate information to the police using the less personal method
of texting, as opposed to calling.
Boston has a program called "Text
a Tip" where witnesses can simply text the word "TIP"
to a crime hotline. They'll then be prompted to respond to a series
of automated messages asking questions about the crime. Numbers are
encrypted and blocked to ensure callers' anonymity.
Across the world in China, dozens of
cities have similar crime-reporting systems. In 2005, Chinese police
were able to track down a kidnapping victim and his two kidnappers
after the man sent them a text message stating simply that he had
been kidnapped. Another feel-good story happened in the Netherlands
in 2007 when police broadcasted a text message to people in an area
where a boat had been stolen. A woman nearby glimpsed the missing
boat and notified the authorities, who found it and the thief soon
after.
Sometimes the police send text messages
directly to the criminals themselves. In Amsterdam, police officers
fought cell phone theft by bombarding stolen phones with messages
saying, "This phone has been stolen. Bring it back to the
police." Understandably, these so-called "text-message
bombs" seemed to be an effective deterrent. Who wants a phone
that keeps telling you it's been stolen?
In the United States, residents in many
cities can register to be part of an emergency warning system that
will notify them on their cell phone of nearby criminal activities,
missing persons or suspects on the run. One of the emergency
broadcast systems that people can sign up for is an extension of the
country's AMBER (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response)
Alert program, which is used to catch child abductors. Opt-in setups
like these usually charge people a small fee whenever they get a
message. The Netherlands, however, is testing a government-sponsored
alert system that is free to users.
So if someone says their cell phone is
a lifesaver, they may just be speaking literally. For more
information about wireless crime-fighting methods and to learn how
you can opt in to programs like the AMBER Alert.
In these times of economic distress, many people are concerned about
the threat of rising crime in their communities. Fortunately, there are
ways to help protect your home and your neighborhood from crime. From
simple steps like keeping your doors locked to starting a Neighborhood
Watch program, there are plenty of things you can do to prevent crime.
Work with your neighbors to keep your neighborhood clean and orderly.
Keep spare keys with a trusted neighbor or nearby shopkeeper, not under
a doormat or planter, on a ledge, or in the mailbox. Set timers on
lights when you're away from home or your business is closed, so they
appear to be occupied. Illuminate or eliminate places an intruder might
hide: the spaces between trees or shrubs, stairwells, alleys, hallways,
and entry ways. With many law enforcement agencies cutting costs, it has
never been more important for citizens to work together to prevent
crime.