The East Orange Police Department in New Jersey is enlisting residents to monitor surveillance camera video of their neighborhoods. The police will apparently invite certain citizens to participate in the “Virtual Community Patrol.” From The Star Ledger:
Soon-to-be-chosen residents will get access to a a Web site that provides panoramic views of their block, allows them to type in general complaints, pinpoint a problem location, immediately send that information to police headquarters, and simultaneously activate hidden police surveillance cameras, (police director Jose) Cordero said…
“We plan on giving the community control of a very powerful technology,” Cordero said.
“We want to now give them shared virtual control of their community,” Cordero said. “Essentially, when they see something that alarms them, they can go to the Web site, type in information, and hit send.
“We will then get an alert in our community center, and, automatically, video cameras will turn to what they (the neighborhood resident) are looking at, or what they are complaining about,” Cordero said. “We’ll see what they’re seeing. We’ll be able to respond quicker.”
Link (completion of stupid short reg form may be required) (Thanks, Jason Tester!)
UPDATE: Allen Knutson points out how closely the Virtual Community Patrol resembles the notion of Neil Stephenson’s Global Neighborhood Watch as envisioned in a 1998 Wired article. Link