FBI to use digital billboard alerts

Mark Sweney
London Guardian
Thursday, January 3, 2008

The FBI is to use a nationwide network of digital billboards to flash "hot pursuit" alerts and "most wanted" bulletins to help catch criminals.

In a deal with Clear Channel Outdoor, the US law enforcement agency will use billboards to run messages about wanted criminals, crime in progress and "high security" alerts about homeland security.

The agreement, which follows a successful trial in Philadelphia that led to the swift arrest of three criminals, will primarily be used to run "most wanted messages" on more than 150 digital billboards in about 20 US cities.

Billboards will also be used to display "high security messages to relevant communities" and the FBI also plans to establish a "protocol" for high priority "hot pursuit" messages to run straight after crimes are committed.

"The success of our 'wanted' messages on Clear Channel's digital billboards in Philadelphia was an impressive testament to this new technology's effectiveness in aiding law enforcement," said Brett Hovington, community relations unit chief at the FBI.

He added that a key benefit of the billboards is that they allow a "degree of separation between the tipster and the authorities", helping the FBI to protect the sources of anonymous tip-offs.

Clear Channel has previously used its billboards for public safety purposes such as informing commuters in Minneapolis that there had been a bridge collapse within 15 minutes of the event occurring.