Long Beach Police Reveal Tech Tools

The Long Beach Police Department on Thursday announced the launch of two
new technology systems that could help law enforcement officers solve crimes using text
and email alerts about traffic and suspects at large, and making it easier for residents to
offer crime-related tips.

In a press conference at the police headquarters, Long Beach Police Chief Jim
McDonnell highlighted three new programs, Nixle, iWatch, and TipSoft, explaining how
the technology will communicate information to the police department.

He stressed the importance of these programs in aiding the department in a time
of increased budget constraints. “There are fewer resources today than we had before,”
McDonnell said. “We’re trying to use technology to maximize what we do have.”

Residents of Long Beach must sign up for Nixle in order to receive the
notifications. After the Long Beach police issues an alert, the subscriber receives it
within minutes. The information can range from traffic-related alerts to alerts about a
suspect in the Long Beach community.

McDonnell said the technology promotes the sharing of thoughts and information
between the police and Long Beach residents. In solving crime, “communities involved
are often a crucial factor,” he said.

The iWatch program aims to stop a terrorist attack through its motto: “See
Something Say Something.” It asks Long Beach residents to report any suspicious or
unusual activity. iWatch will work in conjunction with TipSoft, allowing Long Beach
residents to submit anonymous tips to the LBPD through text messaging or by using a
computer with Internet service. TipSoft is the third party provider that sends the tip to
the police. This allows for pure anonymity because the tip is first going to Tipsoft and
then to the police department.

Chief McDonnell says he is proud of the iWatch program because it “incorporates
the concept of neighborhood watch with modern technology.”

Other programs that Chief McDonnell discussed include:

* The Reverse 9-1-1—a Community Emergency Notification System in which
operators, in the event of an emergency, can call Long Beach residents and businesses in
the affected area to leave recorded messages detailing the emergency.

*The Community Camera Partnership Program, which allows the Long Beach
police to access footage from publicly and privately owned cameras in the community for
real-time information on what’s happening for officers responding to the scene.

*The Safe-Reunion Long Beach program, to help persons with dementia,
Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive disorders who become lost. The program uses telephone
triangulation to locate and return the lost person back to his or her loved ones.

Lastly, Chief McDonnell spoke about the importance of the Long Beach police
using Facebook so that Long Beach residents could “share concerns, feedback, and
success stories.”

Long Beach residents can go to www.nixle.com to sign up for the Nixle
Notification System.

For the Reverse 9-1-1 program, if your regular telephone service is located inside
Long Beach, there is no need to sign up. The City will also contact residents through
email from time to time to check that the telephone information is correct.

Cynthia de la Torre is part of a team of UC Irvine literary journalism students who began working this week for Belmont Shore-Naples Patch. Cynthia's focus will be trained on government, police news and Food.