Politics & Government

City to Consider $100,000 Emergency Situation Mobile Application

This fall, university police will have access to real-time video, audio and GPS data in emergency situations. The city could benefit, too, for a price.

The city of College Park will have to decide whether or not police access to real-time video footage and a GPS pinpointing system of ongoing emergency situations is worth an estimated $100,000.

At Wednesday evening’s Mayor and Council work session, the University of Maryland police presented a public safety program that will be rolled out to the university community in September, and told city officials that College Park residents can have access, too.

“I whole heartedly endorse the concept. I believe it would be life saving,” Chief David Mitchell said.

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Council members appeared largely receptive to the program, called M-Urgency, but there were many questions, namely about cost.

 “I hope you’re not going to tell us you need our money,” Councilman Jack Perry (Dist. 2) told Mitchell before learning the price tag of expanding the program beyond campus.

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Dr. Ashok Agrawala from the Computer Science Department, who will assist in running the program, said city resources would support the additional support staff and “incremental type things.”

Mitchell insisted the price was worth it, because it’s “one-time money.” After the program is set up, he said no more costs would be incurred.

This fall, students will be able to download the smart phone application through the university's protected intranet. Through the app, students can then use their phones to stream real-time video footage and audio from ongoing medical and emergency situations. GPS technology will pinpoint for police the exact location of the situation.

University police dispatchers and ground units will be able to access this real-time information while the incident is going on, as well as have constant communication with the caller.

Mitchell explained that the program is especially useful for those who can’t express that they’re watching or experiencing a crime or medical emergency.

Although the department was advocating for the expansion of the program to the entire city, university police do not have jurisdiction over all of College Park.

“If we get information via the app and it is from outside of our jurisdiction, we will notify the Prince George's County Police,” Lt. Bob Mueck of the university Department of Public Safety explained in an email following the meeting.

Mitchell said the county police do not currently have the technology to receive the video from the university police.

However, Mitchell said the university and county police have engaged in casual conversation about the program, and he was confident that the interest and capability are there.

“At the very least we’ll be able to record it” for the county police, Mitchell said.

Mitchell and Agrawala were accompanied by Major Jay Gruber. Mueck said Agrawala and Gruber would coordinate and run the program.

Gruber said that as of now the level of situational awareness of an emergency is limited before emergency services arrive, and the real-time data changes that. He said the video can also be stored and used for evidence in court, and students who feel unsafe at night can request a virtual escort by using this application.

Student Liaison to the Mayor and Council Marcella Morris was enthusiastic about the program.

“Having something like this rather than waiting for the police escort really would be a great opportunity,” she said.

According to the presenters, this program isn't used anywhere else.

“At this moment, there is no place, no city, no university that has this kind of technology,” Agrawala said. “College Park will be the first city in the world to deploy this kind of technology.”


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