SMS and Policing

SMS Harnessed in Kidnap Case - 12 July 2004

SMS Technology is being used in the hopes of finding the kidnapped daughter of First Technology MD Rob Matthews, with one possible lead already emerging as a result, reports ITWeb.

"Ten thousand eBlockwatch members received an SMS on Sunday morning containing information on Leigh Matthews who was kidnapped outside Bond University in Sandton (South Africa) on Friday.

The SMSs, which contained information such as what she was wearing, were sent in the hopes that someone would be able to provide information as to her whereabouts.

eBlockwatch works with the community in order to obtain information pertaining to crime, sending SMSs to it's members, who respond with any information they have, which eBlockwatch then pass on to the police.

";By getting the community involved, that's how we'll stop crime", says Andre Snyman, eBlockwatch founder.

Dutch Police Start SMS-Alert Service - 29 June 2004

Hoping to increase the number of watchful ears and eyes on the ground, the Tilburg police are to deploy SMS messaging to warn locals of burglars, reports DMeurope

"The police are counting on the service working both ways - that locals will also be encouraged to report back any possible leads (but not to go after the suspects themselves).

This service could be extended in the future to include other threats and alarms, such as missing children".

Location Services on Emergency Mobile Calls - Jan 16 2004

The UK police is work on an enhanced 999 (the local police emergency number) service for cell phones that will help the emergency services to locate people calling the emergency assistance number, reports Cellular News.

Enhanced location information will mean that callers in unfamiliar surroundings can be located and reached more speedily by the Fire, Police, Ambulance or Coastguard services... More than 43 million 999 calls are made in UK each year and more than 50% of those are from mobile handsets, according to the police.

Good Response to New SMS Way Against Crime - Dec 20 2003

Kuala Lumpur police have received tremendous response from the public for the newly-introduced short messaging service crime-reporting method, reports the Daily Express. The method allows city residents to report crimes in Kuala Lumpur by simply sending an SMS to the police.

"City Police Chief, Datuk Dell Akbar Khan, said a total of 6,946 SMS were received between Nov 13 to Dec 15. The input received from the public had helped police handle various petty crimes committed within the city centre.

He said through this method, police had received 1,962 complaints on traffic problems, 790 tips on drug cases, and 865 general enquiries, amongst others.

Text Messaging Thwarts Xmas Shoplifters - Dec 19 2003

The Christchurch police of New Zealand are using text messaging to battle against shoplifting in the busy lead up to Christmas, according to an article in the Christchurch Star.

The police have been working with store security officers from all over the city, 'e Txting' each other details of shoplifters and their vehicles.

Recent incidents included:

"Three people were caught and arrested while shoplifting in a central city store. Through texted messages they were tracked in other malls around the city and eventually through observation of their vehicle registration number, they were located 10 minutes later at another mall with a van laden with $1400 worth of stolen property --- mostly clothes taken earlier from yet another mall.

Elsewhere, a man in his thirties was observed putting CDs down his trousers at a city store. This was reported via txt to other stores and stills of the man taken off video surveillance were txted around town within minutes. Using these photos for identification the man was apprehended by a store security guard and arrested".

Child Rescue Alert - Dec 2 2003

The parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler are to launch the next stage of a media SMS alert scheme for when children are missing or abducted, according to the BBC.

"Bob and Sally Dowler, whose daughter Milly was 13 when she disappeared on her way home from school in March last year, are backing a decision by Surrey Police to adopt Child Rescue Alert.

The scheme is based on an American system called Amber Alert, which has helped find dozens of children.

The force is the second in the country to work with local television and radio stations to set up the system, and a roll-out across the country is now possible.

It works with an alert issued by a senior officer that is sent to local news organisations, which then immediately broadcast it.

The force hopes the alert scheme could help save lives because the first hours after a young person goes missing are often the most crucial".