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They partner with police. The revenue play is charging governments access to a feed of events happening just in their jurisdiction (with some cleaning up/grou

They partner with police. The revenue play is charging governments access to a feed of events happening just in their jurisdiction (with some cleaning up/grouping of similar reports). Citizen gets the police to pay them for access, then gets the police to advertise the app to them as an alternative to calling non emergency dispatch. In turn more people down Citizen and Citizen can probably monetize that. In LA they even have Citizen branded patrol vehicles rather than community service officers as a pilot program. So rather than having like an unarmed (and normally unsworn) employee of LAPD in a Prius with a little orange light on the top, you get a private contractor in a citizen branded vehicle doing the patrol. The big question is if Citizen gets into E911 systems, which have a lot more liability than non emergency type things. Is Citizen going to make a play to become the standard way of contacting 911 via text based communication at some point and attempt to generate revenue via running that infrastructure.

systemvoltage 5y ago
Curious - what can this private Citizen branded patrol actually do? Isn't it just a camera on wheels? It can't make arrests, it can't handcuff people, it can't do much legally.
- genericone 5y ago
  Observe and report, and verbally harass if necessary, in an "acceptable" manner. Using robots apparently is not yet in vogue, so citizen branded patrol might be the current local-minima for this type of function: https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16771148/robot-security-guard-scares-homeless-san-francisco https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16771148/robot-security-... I knew someone that worked at the SFSPCA and they said the robot absolutely put a dent in car-break-ins, needling, and encampments in the animal-shelter parking lot, but advocates won in the end. What worked in Knightscopes case is the feeling of "presence" that security cams, even the panning ones with a built-in speaker, are unable to give off. So Citizen branded patrols fill that "presence" role.
  - sunshineforever 5y ago
    Needling as in intravenous drug use?
- paxys 5y ago
  A majority of private security in the country works through intimidation alone. Legally they have next to no rights, at least different from you or me or any other bystander. If I ever get harassed by mall cops or anyone else of the sort my response is always to either ignore them completely or ask them to call the cops. In both cases I am immediately left alone.
  - systemvoltage 5y ago
    Yeah I don’t know the laws of private security companies. For example, if you hire private security firm to guard a bank, are they allowed to use lethal force to protect the bank? It’s scary how close to the real deal vehicle this Citizen patrol van looks like. I think they can even put police lights on legally if I’m not mistaken.
    - rabuse 5y ago
      They're only allowed the privileges a normal person like you and me would, which depends on the state and whether they have stand your ground laws in place, or duty to retreat. The guard would have to fear for his/her life, or great bodily injury.

systemvoltage 5y ago

Curious - what can this private Citizen branded patrol actually do? Isn't it just a camera on wheels? It can't make arrests, it can't handcuff people, it can't do much legally.

genericone 5y ago
Observe and report, and verbally harass if necessary, in an "acceptable" manner. Using robots apparently is not yet in vogue, so citizen branded patrol might be the current local-minima for this type of function: https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16771148/robot-security-guard-scares-homeless-san-francisco https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16771148/robot-security-... I knew someone that worked at the SFSPCA and they said the robot absolutely put a dent in car-break-ins, needling, and encampments in the animal-shelter parking lot, but advocates won in the end. What worked in Knightscopes case is the feeling of "presence" that security cams, even the panning ones with a built-in speaker, are unable to give off. So Citizen branded patrols fill that "presence" role.
- sunshineforever 5y ago
  Needling as in intravenous drug use?
paxys 5y ago
A majority of private security in the country works through intimidation alone. Legally they have next to no rights, at least different from you or me or any other bystander. If I ever get harassed by mall cops or anyone else of the sort my response is always to either ignore them completely or ask them to call the cops. In both cases I am immediately left alone.
- systemvoltage 5y ago
  Yeah I don’t know the laws of private security companies. For example, if you hire private security firm to guard a bank, are they allowed to use lethal force to protect the bank? It’s scary how close to the real deal vehicle this Citizen patrol van looks like. I think they can even put police lights on legally if I’m not mistaken.
  - rabuse 5y ago
    They're only allowed the privileges a normal person like you and me would, which depends on the state and whether they have stand your ground laws in place, or duty to retreat. The guard would have to fear for his/her life, or great bodily injury.