For a long time now, people have used the telephone to place emergency calls. Although it’s a quick and convenient way to contact the police, it sometimes has the disadvantage of exposing the caller, especially in those situations where the law abiding citizen is traveling on a bus or train in relatively close proximity to the perpetrator. In these circumstances making a phone call may alert the criminal to what’s happening, placing the community-minded person at risk, or making it possible for the offender to escape.
A plan to use SMS to alert police to unlawful activities has been highly commended by Hangzhou police with the department pledging funds to put the plan into action. In fact, situations where it is inappropriate for people to call for police assistance are surprisingly frequent, especially on modes of public transport. Hangzhou Public Security Bureau’s public traffic security division will provide the resources to develop and implement an SMS reception service at the “110” emergency call command center.
Zheng Tonghui, director of the public traffic security division, said, “Sending messages is a safe and convenient way to contact the police. The plan relies on two things, first that the person filing the report has a mobile phone, and second that they know the number of the emergency call command center.”
The public traffic security division is now in contact with the relative departments of Zhejiang Unicom and Zhejiang Mobile, to select two mobile phone numbers for the emergency message alarm service. Soon citizens will be able to use their mobile phones to SMS the police for help.
(china.org.cn by Wang Zhiyong, October 4, 2002)
