December 14, 2004
Vandalism marks matched logo found on lost cell phone
Investigators used a logo on a lost cell phone to track down graffiti vandalism suspect David McGreal, according to a police report, writes The Kane County Chronicle.
"The "Slim North" logo on McGreal's phone, which was found by a groundskeeper in the Abby Glen subdivision, matched the spray painted marks found on several Campton Township traffic signs and roads in May."
Other police efforts to track down graffiti vandals thanks to cameraphones:
-- Police camera phones hunt graffiti - Images of etchings are captured on camera phones, emailed to police headquarters and stored in a database of graffiti tags, the trademark sign of the urban street 'artist'. Detectives can then compare them with images of spray paint vandalism in towns and cities.
-- Police test “snap trap” approach - Tayside Police (Scotland) are equipping officers with picture phones in a trial-run crime-busting initiative to tackle persistent graffiti vandals allowing officers to photograph graffiti and identify individuals responsible for multiple instances of vandalism by looking at distinctive signatures and styles.
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/archives/2004/12/006393.htm