Abbotsford Police launch non-emergency texting program
Posted May 1, 2013 4:07 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ABBOTSFORD (NEWS1130) – Abbotsford Police have launched a new initiative aimed at opening communication with the public.
If you have a problem and it’s not an emergency, you can now text it to them using the code 222973.
“The minute that your text arrives at our communication centre it will show up on our dispatch board so just equivalent to a ringing telephone it will now be displayed visually for all of our communication centre staff to respond to,” says Constable Ian MacDonald.
Those responders would then relay it to the officers on the road, marked vehicles and uniformed officers. “So we would be able and be in a position to respond just as quickly as if we were to receive a telephone call.”
He says it will make people more inclined to report crimes like thefts, vandalism and nuisance complaints.
MacDonald believes Abbotsford is the only force in North America with a system like this where they actually reply back to you.
If you do have an emergency though, you still need to call 9-1-1.
