News

Florida residents fight crime with kiosks

July 17, 2014

While a kiosk in India successfully helps locals file complaints against law enforcement, sheriff's officials in Marion County, Fla., are making a city safer with 100 kiosks they installed to catch criminals. 

Two weeks after the kiosks were sent out to local businesses to both inform residents of community events and curb crime, two arrests were made, according to Ocala.com. The kiosks feature photos of wanted criminals, and one such photo was recognized by a guest at Holiday Inn Express in Silver Springs, Fla. The guest alerted the Marion County Sheriff's Office to the whereabouts of the suspect, and he was taken into custody. 

At an Ocala Burger King, a second wanted criminal saw her photo on a kiosk at the restaurant and elected to turn herself into authorities.

"The kiosk is a tool dedicated toward informing the public, identifying offenders and apprehending criminals. The most important thing is to provide information to the community quicker than a criminal can move," Sheriff Chris Blair said in the article.

The portable kiosks, which stand nearly 6-feet tall, feature three screens used for providing alerts, breaking news and public service announcements to the community. The Crime Prevention Fund, created by Florida Statute, issued $300,000 toward funding for the kiosks, approved by the Marion County Commission, the article said.