Japan Police to Introduce Emergency Video Report System

Tokyo, Sept. 22 (Jiji Press)--Japan’s National Police Agency said Thursday that it will start on Oct. 1 a nationwide test run of a system to receive smartphone videos and images of incidents and accidents from people making emergency calls.

The agency hopes to operate the system on a full scale from next April after examining the results of the trial.

“It has become easier to take pictures and videos thanks to the spread of smartphones,” an NPA official said.

The system will allow police to “understand the situation precisely before officers arrive at the scene,” the official added.

When the system goes into operation, police who receive an emergency call at a command and control center will ask if the caller can shoot a video or a take a picture in a safe place and waive the copyright.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]