London police sets up WiFi hotspots for rape campaign

People have found many uses for WiFi. It makes accessing email, social networks, and online shops possible on mobile devices, like smartphone and tablets. It lets users stream media such as videos and audio on their portable devices that is connected to the wireless connection.

Even the London Underground is looking to provide WiFi access in the tubes. Over 120 stations will soon be rolled out with WiFi connections after positive results were obtained from the trials.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “The roll out of Wi-Fi technology across the platforms and public areas of our Tube stations will finally allow Londoners to use mobile devices to pick up their emails, access social media sites and stay in touch with the world above while they traverse our subterranean transport network. We are inviting companies to bid to do this before next June.”

Now the Metropolitan Police are looking to use WiFi for another purpose–a potentially life-saving and crime-preventing one, at that. As part of their anti-rape campaign, the police have set up WiFi and Bluetooth hotspots to deliver messages straight to smartphones.

Posters with warning messages printed on them will also be displayed all across Westminster, Camden, Southwark and Lambeth. They will contain advice such as “Sex with someone who is asleep or unconscious is rape”, and “Drinking too much alcohol can make you more vulnerable to crime — including rape.”

A spokesperson from the Met stated: “Many people now have and use smartphones and this is just another way to try and get messages direct to the public. The poster is not alarmist. It simply informs people that police are attempting to send a message to the public and asking mobile phone users to switch on their Wi-Fi capability.”

The campaign “is not about raising the fear of crime, but about creating awareness among the public about how they can help themselves.” Popular party places such as the Ministry of Sound, Proud Galleries, The Trocedero Centre and Infernos nightclub will have Met WiFi and Bluetooth installations set up.

Aside from the posters and WiFi messages, police officers and police community service officers (PCSOs) will also be posted near clubs and bars to hand out paper copies of the reminders. Detective superintendent Jason Ashwood stated: “This concerted prevention drive is about sending a message to perpetrators of rape that sex with someone who is unable to consent is rape. If a person is unconscious or their judgement is impaired by alcohol, they are legally unable to consent.”

Source – ZDNet