Mobiles phones in responsible hands to deter crime

The government of Liberia has begun a program of giving mobile phones with a free police-calling feature to prominent people in neighborhoods and villages. The report in cellular-news explains:

Liberia’s government has started giving away specially programmed mobile phones to villages so that they can report crimes to the local police. The government project aims to give up to 10 phones to prominent people in each of 400 neighborhoods in and around the capital city, Monrovia.

Crime has become endemic in the country following the demobilization of militia groups which formed during the civil wars of the 1990’s. Most of the young adults who gave up their arms have not found replacement jobs and turned to violent crime. Liberia currently has an approximate 85% unemployment rate, the second highest in the world (The highest is 90% on the tiny island nation of Nauru).

Mobile communication in the hands of responsible people is a new 21st century public safety method. The principle of providing mobile information and communication to responsible adults is an important one underlying the Defywire Mobile Guardian.

“Track and Treat” pilots safe Halloween

One hundred families in Atlanta are participating in a cellular safety pilot project this Halloween. The idea is for GPS-enable phones to make it possible for parents to keep track on a map of exactly where their children are as they are out in soliciting treats. Roberta Rovetta, senior director of product management for QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies, the pilot program’s sponsor, said:

“Halloween is a great time for moms and kids to have GPS on their cell phones because trick-or-treating is the first time many kids venture out without adult supervision.”

More details of projects to use mobile phones for Halloween safety are described in the Marketing Daily article quoted above. In addition to the GPS pilot, there are these wireless approaches:

. . . Atlanta-based Cingular Wireless is providing tips for parents that can help them more effectively communicate with their kids via wireless messaging. The company issued a series of sample text messages parents could send to their kids while they are out trick-or-treating, such as, “Save ur candy till I chk it!” and encouraged kids and parents to use the picture/video messaging capabilities on their phones to keep in touch.

Cingular also sponsored a survey of parents indicating that 63 percent of the 1,175 parents surveyed said that text messaging has improved their communication with their kids.