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Now here’s a bright idea.
Employ the help of taxi drivers to identify and dispatch police support
if criminal or suspicious activity is witnessed in and around the
community. The program is called Taxis on Patrol and has launched in the
Denver Metropolitan area. Local taxi
drivers can volunteer to participate in this program which trains and certifies
them on what suspicious behavior to look for and when it is appropriate to
report.
A week into the programs inception, a Denver
taxi driver assisted in the arrest of a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run. Taxi drivers enrolled in the program, thus
far, have reported assaults, domestic violence disputes, hit and runs, drunk
driving incidents and other suspicious activity while on-duty. Some taxi drivers enrolled in the program
were initially skeptical displaying a sticker on the back of their vehicle
reading, Taxis on Patrol, in fear they would be labeled a “snitch”. Most take pride in the fact that they are providing a great civil service to their community and ignore ridicule.
Kudos, Denver! This is a brilliant
concept. I can’t honestly think of any reason why this program wouldn't work in any other community; so long
as the taxi drivers weren't abusing their privileges. But, should that even be considered an issue
at all?
Programs similar to the Taxis on Patrol program have
extended into international markets and could soon hit a city near you.
Are you skeptical? Do
you see any underlying issues with these developing programs?
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