County Advances With 911 Tracking
Jackson County, Miss., emergency officials can track the location of 911 calls made from cell phones through global positioning technology. If the caller is unable to speak, a computer can locate the cell caller and dispatch an officer, though Jackson County Emergency 911 Commission director George Scholl says he is not aware of the technology ever being used for an emergency.
“We are seeing more cell phones used, and it’s growing,” he adds. “This system will benefit law enforcement agencies in responding.”
The system cost $30,000, and while officials are now using paper maps, they hope to have new software soon that will bring up maps on computer screens automatically.
Scholl notes that phones using voice over Internet protocol may not ring locally, and that banks with many branches whose lines all go through one office may have problems.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Biloxi Sun Herald (10/20/04) P. J5; Lofton, Lynn .