New York City 911 call centers to solicit cameraphone photos

WASHINGTON-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a plan to create millions of cellphone-carrying citizen crime fighters.
In his state of the city address, Bloomberg said he wants to empower more New Yorkers in combating crime.
“This year, we’ll begin a revolutionary innovation in crime-fighting: Equipping 911 call centers to receive digital images and videos New Yorkers sent from cellphones and computers is something no other city in the world is doing,” Bloomberg stated. “If you see a crime in progress or a dangerous building condition, you’ll be able to transmit images to 911, or online to NYC.gov. And we’ll start extending the same technology to 311 to allow New Yorkers to step forward and document non-emergency, quality-of-life concerns, holding city agencies accountable for correcting them quickly and efficiently.”
Already, cameraphone photos have been used in a number of criminal incidents in locations across the country.
Interestingly, a Connecticut company with long-standing expertise in 911 training and technology appears particularly well suited for what could become a national trend in leveraging cellular technology to fend off crime. PowerPhone Inc., of Madison, Conn., said it unveiled the first system for delivering cellphone photos from wireless callers to emergency dispatchers at the August convention of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International.
A PowerPhone spokesman said the company plans to contact Bloomberg’s office to inquire about what technology the city envisions using for the new project.