Yesterday, three Los Angeles city council members announced a plan they say could provide millions of dollars to put more police on the street — by converting the city government’s IT infrastructure to open source software. I spoke with the author of this proposal, Eric Garcetti, and filed a report for the NPR program “Day to Day.”
Link to archived audio for this story with expanded online coverage. Link to NPR Day to Day home. Previously on BoingBoing: LA city councilman says open source = more cops.
Here’s the Wired Magazine article about Brazil’s open source movement which Mr. Garcetti said inspired the idea… his spokesperson says he first saw it here on Boing Boing. An excerpt from the Wired story is included in the text of the city council proposal. Link to “We Pledge Allegiance to the Penguin” by Julian Dibbell.