111 texts on the way in New Zealand

According to stuff, New Zealand police could soon let people text in an emergency instead of calling 111.

A new system which police have asked suppliers to provide costings on could also be used to send mass emergency messages, such as warning of a gunman on the loose, or find a person by tracking the source of their cellphone signal.

Police spokeswoman Philippa Sargent said it was not always practical for people to dial 111 for help, such as when a person was unable to hear, or in a situation where speaking would put them in danger.

Other features could include the ability to automatically analyse messages and prompt the sender for additional information such as their location, and the ability to assist with interpretation of text language.

The public could also send texts or pictures to police in non-emergency situations, including "for the purposes of reporting crime in an anonymous or tipoff way, or because it is more convenient".

emily | 9:51 AM | New SMS Services |
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