Would you invite police to text you?

[Bill of Rights]

Police aim for networking with the public | jconline.com | Journal and Courier

Seems there is an option to sign up for alerts to various things going on around the community.

Basically, I see it as a good thing, allowing me to gauge my own risk level and decide if it's something I need to stay away from, something about which I'm unconcerned and doesn't affect me, or something I need to actively prepare to defend against for whatever reason.

Anyone out there see a downside to this?

Discuss, please.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Colt556]

The cops would have your cell number and GPS location. TMI IMHO.

 

[MrsGungho]

I'm thinking no for the reason Colt stated. I know they can get that anyway if they really want it, but why voluntarily give it them?

 

[MinuteMan47]

The cops would have your cell number and GPS location. TMI IMHO.

They already do.

 

[Eddie]

The cops would have your cell number and the GPS location of your cell phone. TMI IMHO.

Fixed that for you.

 

[Colt556]

Fixed that for you.

I know that authorities can get the information if needed, but just handing it over to them is not something I want to do if not necessary. I would guess that most ppl keep their cell phones with them most of the time.

 

[Eddie]

I know that authorities can get the information if needed, but just handing it over to them is not something I want to do if not necessary. I would guess that most ppl keep their cell phones with them most of the time.

Yep, important thing to keep in mind though. If SHTF my cell phone and I may part ways.

 

[jdhaines]

I have signed up for a similar service. I am under no delusions that I could not be found if someone wanted to via cell phone, or whatever. The benefit would outweigh any tinfoil "maybe".

 

[Bill of Rights]

I thought about the privacy implications. I now have two reasons to give less weight to those concerns. The first was due to a comment a friend of mine made a few months ago: "Let them put me on a list. Let them put everyone on a list... hell, let 'em put everyone on as many lists as possible, because that will completely invalidate the value of the lists!" (that, BTW, is a paraquote, not direct.)

The other reason is because this is the requested info from the sign-up page:

* Username: Only letters, numbers, and underscores, please!
* Password: Make it hard to guess!
* Full Name:
* Email Address: We will never share your personal information.
Mobile Phone:
Important alerts are sent to this phone number.
By entering your mobile number, you certify that A) you are the account holder, or B) have account holder's permission to do so. You will receive a single opt in welcome message. Reply YES to continue to receive SMS text messages. You may opt out at any point by sending STOP to the shortcode 888777. Send HELP to 888777 for information. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency depends on account settings.
Supported carriers are AT&T, Sprint, Nextel, Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile, MetroPCS, Cellular One Dobson, Cincinnati Bell, Alltel, Virgin Mobile USA, Cellular South, Unicel, Centennial, Ntelos

Now, I don't put any meaning to "we won't share your info", obviously, and their privacy policy shown on their site is something I haven't yet read, but...

Username: BoR
Password: whatever
Full name: Michael Hunt (or John Parker; no one said it had to be MY full name! I might actually use Bob N. DeWatter, too.)
Email address: (throwaway hotmail or some such)
Mobile number: (mine, obviously)

The point is for the address to mean nothing and the name to blend in to the background. Don't use a namethat would obviously draw attention to the fake, like Weldon Rumproast. The only thing that can really easily be tied to me would be the cell number and again, they can do that anyway. The point is that there will be hundreds if not thousands in my area alone who will sign onto this. If I am a fish amongst fishes, what do I care if they have my number?

Please understand I'm not arguing with anyone. I agree the concern is valid. The above is just some ways I thought might minimize that concern

Other thoughts?

Blessings,
Bill

 

[printcraft]

I signed up for the Amber Alert texts......
Had (2) alerts since that time.
No problems (so far).

 

[christman]

lotta tinfoil in here.

 

[Bill of Rights]

lotta tinfoil in here.

There is. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, though, which is why I posted the question. I use tinfoil when I cook stuff, but never the whole roll at once, y'know?

 

[christman]

Im all for individuals staying as informed as they want to be (privacy etc..). Just don't get huffy puffy about it when you are in the dark about community issues that hit close to home.

As for the police and having your number...Anything they don't already have, they can get with a few calls to different agencies if the reason merits it. So why make them have to jump through hoops via man hours and spend more of our tax dollars just to delay the inevitable?

*combs hair*

 

[Kirk Freeman]

lotta tinfoil in here

Just wait until you see what the feds can do with your cell phone.

Phone phreaking, it will cause you to wrap yourself in tinfoil.

 

[L-W-R-C]

i don't know much about what people can do with gps but cant they tell how fast you get from A to B then send you a ticket because they watched you speed on the gps signal they have on you? i dont know if this is possible but i think it sounds reasonable. please tell me if i am right or wrong.

 

[christman]

i don't know much about what people can do with gps but cant they tell how fast you get from A to B then send you a ticket because they watched you speed on the gps signal they have on you? i dont know if this is possible but i think it sounds reasonable. please tell me if i am right or wrong.

Theoretically it could be possible as any of my gps I use in the car show how fast I am going and it would only take some simple math to calculate from A to B.

Not saying it won't ever happen, but to me it is overkill and there would be to much read tape to worry about. There are to many people to monitor driving and gubment computers would overload automatically writing and mailing citations. Lawsuits would go bananas with the claim that it violates privacy laws without PC. etc. etc..

Minority Report.

 

[IndySSD]

Just wait until you see what the feds can do with your cell phone.

Phone phreaking, it will cause you to wrap yourself in tinfoil.

^^^^

This is one of the many reasons I keep my phone burried inside a cargo pocket of my pants and any time I don't want to be disturbed.

I'm currently looking for a couple RFID shielded pouches for my wallet and phones as well.

Just in case you didn't know....
1. People with access can activate your mic and or camera remotely.
2. People with access can track you phone using restricted access only Terra based GPS repeaters so that even if you don't have cell coverage or direct satellite GPS link, they can still locate you.

There are also test units out there that can wireless interface with your phone and launch apps without your approval as well(again depending on the level of access the person performing the surveillance on you has).


Patriot act at work.... don't you feel safer now?

 

[308jake]

I see the value in this service only and if ONLY they notify me when the are raiding the massage parlor. Every second counts.....

 

[lashicoN]

Anything they don't already have, they can get with a few calls to different agencies if the reason merits it. So why make them have to jump through hoops via man hours and spend more of our tax dollars just to delay the inevitable?

*combs hair*

Why make it difficult for them to can the 4th Amendment? Are you kidding me? Your pro-big government BS never ceases to amaze me. They swore an Oath to protect the Constitution and I intend to hold them to that Oath, by whatever means. That's why we should make them jump through hoops via man hours. We're not forcing them to spend more tax dollars, they are doing that on their own. We should oppose invasion of privacy at every step.

The only thing I consider "inevitable" is that our government will continue to overstep its boundaries and one day the people will wake up and take their freedoms back.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Um... getting away from the "Government should/should not ..." argument and getting back to my original question....

I can see benefit in having the information available to make my own decisions (rather than just be told) what to avoid, what to prepare to confront, etc., and if I can manage to my own satisfaction the privacy concerns, are there any downsides I'm not seeing to the text service made available by the county?

Blessings,
Bill