A SMARTPHONE app that allows members of the public to beam pictures of an unfolding emergency straight into an incident room is being trialled by Gwent Police.

999eye gives witnesses calling 999 or 101 the ability to either securely stream live footage or upload images of incidents into control rooms.

The first phase of the pilot focuses on emergency 999 calls, with operators having the potential to use the tool to obtain the additional information from an incident.

Phase two will include both 999 and 101 calls and will begin at the end of November.

Superintendent Ian Roberts, Head of Gwent Police FCR said, ‘It’s fantastic that Gwent Police is leading the way in piloting such an advanced piece of technology.

‘In addition to transforming the way 999 calls are dealt with, 999eye will also provide crucial evidence to support ongoing investigations, bringing significant benefits to officers, 999 callers and members of the public’.

How it works

During a 999 or 101 call, with the caller’s permission, the FCR operator will send a text message to the caller’s smartphone containing a secure link.

Once clicked, a live stream is established that allows footage or images to be sent directly to the control room.

GPS coordinates are also captured by 999eye to help locate the exact location of an incident.

If the caller has low signal on their smartphone, photographs can be sent across the link instead.

The secure link can only be used once and no footage is stored on the caller’s smartphone.