London’s Metropolitan Police have developed a phone app, allowing people to identify criminals in their neighborhood at the flick of a switch. Police hope the new app will greatly increase arrests in the UK capital.
The new program, named Facewatch ID, which can be downloaded on to Blackberries, iPhones and Android devices, shows users photos of wanted individuals in the area.Once the user has entered a postcode they are granted access to a police database of 2,000 photos and CCTV images. The app also allows people to send confidential information straight to the police if they think they have spotted a suspect.Simon Gordon, chairman of Facewatch Ltd and one of the developers of the new application, said Facewatch ID would be available for free for “any police force in the UK and would play its part in ensuring a safer capital for the Olympics.”“By using the very latest technology we have created a simple, easy-to-use and highly relevant way for the public to assist in the huge job of managing the capitals CCTV image database,” said Gordon.Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, responsible for Specialist Crime and Operations in London said that he would “encourage as many people as possible to use the app.”“The general public can support us in this – both by providing us with images – and then helping us to identify those who are responsible for committing crime," stressed the commissioner.Currently the new application is only operational within London, but its creators have plans to extend its use throughout the UK.