Smartphone App Allows Students to Broadcast Emergencies to Police
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The University of Maryland is launching a smartphone application on Sept. 1 that will allow users to broadcast emergencies in real-time to local police.
University Police are seeking funding from the College Park City Council to expand the application to cover off-campus emergencies, the Diamondback reports. The majority of crimes occur off-campus, and if the department receives its requested funding, the city will be the first municipality in the world to employ this technology.
Students who download the application to their smartphones will be required to authenticate their identity with a university ID number and password. During an emergency, dispatchers will be able to use the GPS technology on the smartphone to pinpoint the student’s location.
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