Delaware’s largest county adopts 'Video 911' to get ‘eyes and ears on the scene’

While the county will use footage it obtains to aid investigations and prosecutions, Holden stressed that as soon as a video chat is terminated, the county won’t have further access to the caller’s phone.

Supervisor Chris Williams added that before asking a caller to share their screens, managers who monitor what dispatchers enter into the system will decide whether video would help responders.

“So we’re not just going to randomly solicit video for things that we can just get verbal information from and relay that to the police officers,” Williams said.

“In the case of an active shooter where somebody was hiding in a store and they’re able to stream video of where the people were inside the building, that would be beneficial to the responders to be able to see that information and get that live update as they’re trying to enter the building.”

Dispatcher Onassis Burton says he’s pleased that one of his bosses will make the call to ask for video access.

“Since we get lots of crazy calls and we get lots of crazy texts, we don’t want to receive lots of crazy pictures and videos just immediately,’’ he said.

Burton envisions Video 911 as yet another way to protect citizens in peril. “I think it’s gonna be useful. All tools are useful if they are used right,’’ he said.

County Executive Matt Meyer says it’s all about protecting the public.

“I’ve always thought it was ridiculous, for over a decade, that you can pull out your phone, open up a variety of apps, and call your best buddy anywhere in the world and have a video conversation.”

“But you can’t do it in the most urgent emergency, the most important call you’re gonna make, and that’s a call to 911. We just hope the public uses it.”