Real Time Crime

The three screens are not only for entertainment, education or news purposes. Their convergence is also helping to create the world's newest Justice League: the one were either of us gets to be Superman, Wonderwoman or that Apache Chief that could grow to any size he wanted.

Last year, New York City's 911 service started a new platform capable of receiving user text messages reporting crimes. They're now working on receiving user videos that can help them solve crimes faster.

A recent article in the NYT tells a similar story in Chicago, were street cameras have just being linked to the city's 911 network, helping them locate a suspect or crime scene withing seconds after a call, and even before officials get to the scene. Private companies and institutions are also allowing Chicago-911 hookups to their surveillance systems.

Of course, this generates a lot of privacy issues and concerns, which are being addressed bit by bit. The point is that the convergence of all this technologies can in fact help create safer cities (or at least cities were people afraid of "Big Brother" will just think twice before committing a crime).

Will it work, though?
Ask the woman who, last September, snapped a shot of the guy who had taken a picture of her underskirt in the NYC Subway. She took his picture using her cellphone, told him "smile because I am going to the police," and then email the shot to the authorities.
The guy was effectively arrested.

Forget citizen journalism, this is Citizen Justice League!
(Both courtesy of three screens)

S. Quiroga

Source 1: Chicago Links Street Cameras to Its 911 Network (NYT)
Source 2: 911 to Accept Cellphone Videos (NYT)
Source 3: Sex harass victim fights back with cell phone pic (MSNBC)
Source 4: Learn about the "Apache Chief" (courtesy of Wikipedia)