For over a year we have had Text-a-Crime here in Post Falls and it has worked with great success on many occasions - but last night it may have saved a life! Last night, a citizen sent a message to the PFPD 911 Center through the Text-a-Crime system. She was despondent and made statements about harming herself. She would not accept calls, only text messages from the ECO. Communications Supervisor Laurie Sutton quickly focused on encouraging the female to get some help while her dispatch partners, Supervisor Joanie Huska and Communications ECO Curtis Lybeer, continued to work the Dispatch Center’s phones and radios. Although the female would not answer any of Supervisor Sutton’s direct questions during the text conversation, she was able to determine that the female was currently in Coeur d’ Alene apparently driving. Within 60 minutes or so, the 911 operator convinced the citizen to go to the Coeur d’ Alene Police Department for help. An officer contacted her at the Department and transported her to the hospital for treatment. Although Text-a-Crime is not an alternative to 911, this is a great example of how residents can report information or criminal activity via text messages. The system provides reassurance to individuals who are familiar with texting and email, while allowing the police department to gain valuable information regarding crimes that may be occurring in the city. The Post Falls Police Departments text-messaging system for crime reporting was one of the first in Idaho. When someone sends a text into the police department using [email protected] the message displays on a computer screen in the Emergency Communications 911 Center. Emergency communications officers then respond to the text message and dispatch officers as needed. Text-a-Crime may be especially valuable to hearing impaired citizens. They’re able to text the police without relying on a relay service or TDD, Telecommunication Device for the Deaf. We remind citizens that Text-a-Crime is not an alternative to 911. If you need emergency assistance, please call 911.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 01:33:59 +0000