The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office has unveiled a new system intended to let some 911 callers know how their call turned out.
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The department is now using a product called CommunityConnect so that people who report a crime or call 911 might automatically receive text messages updating them on the call or case.
“When someone calls 9-1-1 or reports a crime, they deserve to know what happens next. Too often, they don’t — not because law enforcement agencies don’t care, but because follow-up communication requires time and resources that aren’t always available,” sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
On its website, provider Versaterm says that with its CommunityConnect product, agencies can send out automatic updates tied to activity on the agency’s dispatching system, giving callers “timely information as their call progresses.”
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Only certain types of calls or reports will trigger the text message responses, sheriff’s officials said.
There are three types of messages: an initial acknowledgement of the call or report; a notification if deputies have been delayed; and a notification regarding how the call turned out — perhaps that an arrest was made, the call was canceled, or it was handled by a deputy.
The messages also come with a link to read the information in Spanish.
In March, the Sheriff’s Office launched a system that uses artificial intelligence to route nonemergency calls to the appropriate person to let 911 dispatchers focus on true emergencies. All 911 calls continue to be answered by dispatchers.
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