SOUTH RIVER–Giving dispatchers a set of eyes to better assist in urgent situations, the South River Police Department is now using the “911eye” emergency streaming service.
“In simplest terms, 911eye is a link that is sent from a police dispatch computer to a smartphone via text message or email. The smartphone owner then clicks on the link, allows the link to access the smartphone camera, and then streams live video to the police dispatcher,” Lt. John McKenna said. “This provides immediate situational awareness for the dispatcher before the officers arrive on scene. The video/photos are stored on a Criminal Justice Information Services compliant cloud for 30 days and can be downloaded for evidence if necessary.”
McKenna said a smartphone app is not necessary. There are no videos/images stored on the user’s smartphone. The device literally acts as a pass-through and retains nothing. Photos/images can also be sent via the link.
“The South River Police Department is the first police department in the United States to implement this technology,” McKenna said. “However, the technology has been installed at other dispatch centers in New Jersey as well as the Javits Convention Center in New York City.”
McKenna said the department went live with the system on Nov. 1; however, the dispatchers and officers trained with the system prior to the official launch date.
“Chief Mark Tinitigan is a very progressive thinker and loves to utilize and implement the latest technology available to help our officers keep the community and themselves safe,” McKenna said. “This technology will allow the dispatcher to assess the situation before officers arrive on scene. This will allow proper resource allocation and information to keep the officers safe.”
911eye was created by Capita in the United Kingdom. It is widely used there, primarily for fire service. Critical Response Group (CRG) is the American company who partnered with Capita to bring the technology to the United States, according to McKenna.
“Training was provided to the officers and dispatchers by employees who had been trained by Capita and CRG. It is a simple process and needs to be. During a critical incident, the process needs to be kept very simple,” McKenna said. “If it was difficult to use, it would be ineffective. Additionally, there are many different skill sets involved when utilizing a smartphone. The technology can be used by anyone old enough to use a smartphone.”
It is important for residents to know, McKenna said, that a link must be sent from police dispatch. Residents cannot elect when to use the product, as it is dispatcher driven. Additionally, the link that is sent is a one-time use link and the police department cannot access the smartphone.
“At this time there have been two incidents wherein 911eye was used and was very helpful. We anticipate more to come in the future,” McKenna said.
For more information about 911eye, visit www.911eye.net/how-it-works/.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
