911 Images Could Mean Info Overload

Officials in New York City say they want to broaden the city’s 911 system to accept digital photos and video clips of accidents, crimes and emergencies. But with a system that handles approximately 11 million calls a year, how do they plan to manage all that data.

The Associate Press’ Nahal Toosi is reporting the expansion of the city’s massive 911 system “raises questions about what to do with all that data.”

“It sounds like a good idea because it’s technically doable and because it makes sense and other areas are doing it,” Alan Reiter, a wireless data consultant, told Toosi. “The downside is getting swamped with photos.”

But city officials told Toosi they’re not worried about their ability to process all the digital images or the possibility hoaxes might trip up dispatchers, Toosi says.

“We’re managing information all the time,” John Feinblatt, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s criminal justice coordinator, told Toosi. “If somebody calls up and gives us words, we’re assessing those words. Something that we do every day is judge the authenticity of the report and the veracity of the report.”

The New York initiative will involve equipping 911 facilities with the necessary technology to accept the photos and videos, which often may come from individuals’ cell phones. The city also intends to upgrade its non-emergency services through the 311 information hot line, which gets about 14.6 million calls a year.

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