Facewatch id enables people to view CCTV images within areas selected by distance from a postcode typed in by the user. If an image is known to the viewer they have the opportunity to take action and confidentially send information directly to the police using the app.
Facewatch – who also provide an online crime reporting and CCTV image upload system to the police and London businesses – have developed the app in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Services (MPS). The App has also been sponsored by BlackBerry manufacturer, Research in Motion.
The app is available for the London area with over 2,000 images of people the Metropolitan Police would like to identify, and will shortly include images from the City of London Police and British Transport Police in the capital.
Facewatch id is available for Apple, Android and BlackBerry smartphones from their respective app stores.
“The Facewatch id application will help the police to catch more criminals and by showing that CCTV is working it will help to stop crime as well,” said Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville, head of the visual image identification and inspection office of the Metropolitan police.
He continued: “The Facewatch image sharing system and online reporting service has already saved much police time and helped my officers to catch persistent criminals and prolific thieves – this new service extends the support that the company is giving to the police. I encourage everyone to view these images and name those shown. This will help to make London safer.”