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| Sheriff Larry Amerson |
People who live in Calhoun County can now do more than just
text crime reports to law enforcement. The
sheriff's office is the pilot site for a smart phone app called ICE Black
Box. ICE stands for In Case of
Emergency, and the app is part of a Neighborhood Watch Now program from the National
Sheriff's Association. Calhoun County
Sheriff Larry Amerson announced the launch of the new program Thursday. If someone sees something suspicious, that
person can use their smart phone to record video to send to the sheriff. Through the ICE Black Box app, the video goes
straight to an online server. "Inside
the dispatch center there will be a map, it will show a location of the call,
give the address coordinates of that call, so that law enforcement immediately
knows who's calling and where they are. Calhoun County is the first test site
for this program. The app is free for
citizens, and the county received the technology for free as the first of three
test sites. The Pinal County Sheriff's
Office in Florence, Arizona, and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, will also test the program. While some people may see the service as an
invasion of privacy, Amerson said there is nothing wrong with neighborhood
watch programs trying to provide law enforcement with information. The ICE Black Box app is available for
download from iTunes or the Google Play store.
Posts
Three people were airlifted from the scene of a one-vehicle
wreck Thursday evening in the Grasmere community along Renfroe Road in
Talladega County. Witnesses said it appeared the driver of the pickup was
headed south, jumped the railroad track near Allen Drive and Lanier Cemetery,
lost control and hit a house and a tree off the left side of the road. Three
separate LifeSaver helicopters responded, landing behind the cemetery across
the road. Volunteers from the Renfroe and Lanier fire departments responded.
Alabama State Troopers were investigating the wreck Thursday night.
Gadsden police are investigating the theft of nearly $15,000
worth of sports equipment and electronics stolen between May 23 and Saturday
From the Gadsden Sports Complex on West Meighan Blvd. The burglars went into the fieldhouse
through the roll-up door and then helped themselves to a large amount of sports
equipment, including 15 pairs of tennis shoes, 12 baseball bats, 120 baseballs,
a set of golf club and 48 golf balls.
The thieves also hit the complex’s press box, stealing a stereo system,
a laptop, a wireless printer, outdoor speakers, a power mixer and a radio
headset. Three pair of expensive sunglasses also were stolen from either the
fieldhouse or press box.
