I started the first VoIP 9-1-1 service for providers. 9-1-1 and similar emergency response services are a great boon. Something most people just take for granted and figure it just works like magic. The job those people have is mostly thankless and comes with killer stress. (Listening to a few recordings, I'd have a breakdown within a day on that job.)
On a more HN-note, I saw an interesting glimpse into how some of the responders view privacy. In context of what to do for VoIP phones, the general feeling at one NENA meeting was "ISPs should provide detailed location information on any access lines to VoIP devices". The implication there is that any software on your computer or network would be able to do a real "geo IP" lookup because your ISP would have to provide your address of record to anything using the connection. No one seemed to realise the massive problem this would create.
The other interesting thing is that PSAPs are heading towards an interconnected model. The idea being (at least a few years ago) that PSAPs could all be on the Internet, and transfer calls to each other with SIP + some nutty extensions, bridge in translators, a real utopia. Which sounds nice until you realise so many PSAPs are woefully underfunded and in no position to be running critical infrastructure on the Internet. Hopefully states would step up and provide adequate funding and it could be pulled off as a government project. But it's not so clear, and there's a long way to go. One PSAP told us he didn't want us sending calls from "Internet phones" because his PSAP equipment might get a virus (over his voice line.)
SWAT'ing is trivially performed. Sign up for VoIP service, dial 911. Many systems also have normal phone numbers that go into a 911 center, or to a failover call processing place.
Police departments will also let you submit crime reports online. I "swatted" myself by accident after filing a report because one of my license plates was missing. I didn't get any follow up, so I figured I'd just go deal with it later. A bit after that, a cop pulls me over, draws his weapon, aims -- because my car pops up as stolen on his scanner. If someone was to file such a report on someone with concealed carry, I'll be the outcome could be pretty bad.
The owner of a supposed stolen vehicle having a concealed carry license shouldn't change the cop's attitude and behavior, and we're of course taught not to do stupid things in situations like this. Cops deal with legal concealed carriers all the time (> 8 million licences nation wide, some states don't require one), with a paucity of horror stories.
I had two plates, and I guess one fell off or got stolen or something. So I still had my back plate on. Since the PD never confirmed anything after the online report, I figured I would have to go down and do it in person some time. But apparently not.
Since there was zero confirmation, this means you can just do the same to anyone. If the person is particularly jumpy, disabled, has mental issues, etc. it could easily get serious.
On a more HN-note, I saw an interesting glimpse into how some of the responders view privacy. In context of what to do for VoIP phones, the general feeling at one NENA meeting was "ISPs should provide detailed location information on any access lines to VoIP devices". The implication there is that any software on your computer or network would be able to do a real "geo IP" lookup because your ISP would have to provide your address of record to anything using the connection. No one seemed to realise the massive problem this would create.
The other interesting thing is that PSAPs are heading towards an interconnected model. The idea being (at least a few years ago) that PSAPs could all be on the Internet, and transfer calls to each other with SIP + some nutty extensions, bridge in translators, a real utopia. Which sounds nice until you realise so many PSAPs are woefully underfunded and in no position to be running critical infrastructure on the Internet. Hopefully states would step up and provide adequate funding and it could be pulled off as a government project. But it's not so clear, and there's a long way to go. One PSAP told us he didn't want us sending calls from "Internet phones" because his PSAP equipment might get a virus (over his voice line.)