Re:Citizen pays New Yorkers to livestream crime scenes
by systemvoltage on Monday July 26, 2021 @03:16PM
(#27963992)
Curious - what can this private Citizen branded patrol actually do? Isn't it just a camera on wheels? It can't make arrests, it can't handcuff people, it can't do much legally.
Re:Citizen pays New Yorkers to livestream crime scenes
by paxys on Monday July 26, 2021 @03:26PM
(#27964154)
A majority of private security in the country works through intimidation alone. Legally they have next to no rights, at least different from you or me or any other bystander. If I ever get harassed by mall cops or anyone else of the sort my response is always to either ignore them completely or ask them to call the cops. In both cases I am immediately left alone.
Re:Citizen pays New Yorkers to livestream crime scenes
by systemvoltage on Monday July 26, 2021 @03:35PM
(#27964283)
Yeah I don’t know the laws of private security companies. For example, if you hire private security firm to guard a bank, are they allowed to use lethal force to protect the bank?
It’s scary how close to the real deal vehicle this Citizen patrol van looks like. I think they can even put police lights on legally if I’m not mistaken.
Re:Citizen pays New Yorkers to livestream crime scenes
by rabuse on Monday July 26, 2021 @03:44PM
(#27964409)
They're only allowed the privileges a normal person like you and me would, which depends on the state and whether they have stand your ground laws in place, or duty to retreat. The guard would have to fear for his/her life, or great bodily injury.
Re:Citizen pays New Yorkers to livestream crime scenes
by genericone on Monday July 26, 2021 @03:20PM
(#27964063)
Observe and report, and verbally harass if necessary, in an "acceptable" manner. Using robots apparently is not yet in vogue, so citizen branded patrol might be the current local-minima for this type of function:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16771148/robot-security-...
I knew someone that worked at the SFSPCA and they said the robot absolutely put a dent in car-break-ins, needling, and encampments in the animal-shelter parking lot, but advocates won in the end.
What worked in Knightscopes case is the feeling of "presence" that security cams, even the panning ones with a built-in speaker, are unable to give off. So Citizen branded patrols fill that "presence" role.
Re:Citizen pays New Yorkers to livestream crime scenes
by sunshineforever on Monday July 26, 2021 @03:51PM
(#27964494)
Needling as in intravenous drug use?
Citizen gets the police to pay them for access, then gets the police to advertise the app to them as an alternative to calling non emergency dispatch. In turn more people down Citizen and Citizen can probably monetize that.
In LA they even have Citizen branded patrol vehicles rather than community service officers as a pilot program. So rather than having like an unarmed (and normally unsworn) employee of LAPD in a Prius with a little orange light on the top, you get a private contractor in a citizen branded vehicle doing the patrol.
The big question is if Citizen gets into E911 systems, which have a lot more liability than non emergency type things. Is Citizen going to make a play to become the standard way of contacting 911 via text based communication at some point and attempt to generate revenue via running that infrastructure.