The whole issue of community safety and text messaging is one that interests me greatly. It’s always struck me that a few neighbourhood-watch folk with mobile phones could be particularly effective in providing soft intelligence local Police patrols.
So when I got this enquiry in from an SMS Text News reader researching the subject, I immediately started to think back to the stories and news items I’d read:
Do you know of any programmes/initiatives utislising txting that operate for community safety? I know many use txting to let everyone know where the party is or where the boy racers meet up, but curious to know if there is the opposite i.e. letting authorities or community patrols know that there are people gathering in an unsafe way outside their home or a member of group getting concerned that the gathering is getting out of control. Rather than calling 911, 111 or 999, the txt would be an alert direct to patrolers.
My problem? I can’t quite remember any! Can you? Have you come across any examples of these sorts of services or, even better, do you provide the technical services for any?
All I could remember at the top of my head was the campus security services that I’ve regularly blogged about (principally Omnilert.)
I’d appreciate any perspectives — as always, I’m ewan@smstextnews.com.
Dialogue Communications Ltd are leading suppliers of Community Text services for local goverment for a number of years. We currently work with a number of local authories and emergency services throughout the UK. Many local authorities use Community Text for alerts and reminders services for example alerts that remind you when to put out your recycle bins, and recieving texts at there customer service desk for general enquiries. In some authourities the use of text has been an important service one example using it for recieving text for reporting benefit fraud, which is a descrete method of communication.
Dialogue Communications supply Community Text to several police forces throughout the UK many using the service as an alternate means for thier hard of hearing community to report any incidences they may have experienced or witneessed. This type of service has been of great value to the hard of hearing community it gives them a direct way to communicate with their local emergency services.
For more information contact Dialogue Communications Ltd
There was this post about a service in South Africa a while back..
http://www.smstextnews.com/2007/04/eblockwatch_-_crime_fighting_and_panic_button_text_service_in_south_africa.html
Twitter.com???