Using texting for community safety

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.