After a troubled week in England that saw riots and looting in several major cities, police are beginning the task of bringing suspects to book, and are using digital signage to help.
With so many looters caught on CCTV cameras and snapped by onlookers using mobile phones, police have been using several outlets to profile these images. Not only are forces using traditional media such as the press and television. Images are being displayed on the internet and on outdoor digital signage screens throughout the cities where the disturbances occurred.
West Midlands Police, who control the areas of Birmingham and West Bromwich where rioters hit last week, have been using mobile display vans in town centres where images of suspected looters have been profiled. And the force have already seen results with one particular looter handing himself in after seeing his picture on the screens.
Acting Det Insp Mark Rushton, from West Midlands Police said: “We are determined to use every means available to us to bring suspected offenders to justice.”
He added: “We’ve already had a fantastic response to the public who have been calling the special information line or e-mailing us.
“We’ve taken over 500 calls which are helping us make arrests.”
It’s the first time West Midlands Police have used outdoor digital signage for finding crime suspects, but the practice has been used successfully in America for some time.
The FBI have used outdoor digital signage to help track down fugitives for some time, profiling wanted fugitives in cities and towns.
Comments are closed.