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New York promotes mobile app to report suspicious activity in ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign

see-something

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday announced that the state is supporting a mobile app allowing people to report suspicious activity, reports the NY Daily News. The See Send app, available on both iOS and Android, allows users to send either a text note or a photo.

The app […] will allow people to send a photo or written note to the state police Intelligence Center, where its credibility can be examined and referred to the proper law enforcement agency if necessary. [It] should be used to report suspicious behavior or specific situations like an unattended backpack in a public place, not simply hunches.

The app is already supported by Pennsylvania, Ohio, Louisiana, Colorado and Virginia.

State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico likened the app to a telephone crime tip line, with police hoping that making it easier to pass on tips will make it more likely that people will use it.

“If you see something that may be linked to terrorism, send something,” D’Amico said. “Your tip could provide valuable information that could prevent a tragedy.”

For emergencies, you should of course still call 911. More information about the ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign can be found here. The See Send app is a free download on iTunes.

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Comments

  1. PMZanetti - 8 years ago

    An App that will allow paranoid nutbags to report every little nothing, and further create a society of fear.

    Nope. No thanks.

  2. freediverx - 8 years ago

    Sounds like they’d love to create a society of people informing on each other, which has historically been quite popular in authoritarian regimes. It’s amazing how the most rabid anti-communist types warmly embrace some of the worst attributes of communist dictatorships like mass surveillance and encouraging citizens to snitch on each other.

  3. srgmac - 8 years ago

    Horrible idea. They had some app awhile ago where people could report shoplifters — what ended up happening is that everyone flagged random black people who were normal customers. They took the app down if I recall.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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