The Lenexa Police Department is using new technology to keep people safe. It’s called SPIDR Tech and Lenexa is one of the first departments in the country to use it. The technology sends text messages to some callers after they talk to a 911 dispatcher. The messages could include the status of officers on the way to the call, how to prepare for the arriving officers, and the case number of the report. Danny Chavez, the public information officer for Lenexa Police, said he hopes this will improve the customer service experience for callers. “We think it’ll be a positive thing just in terms of police communications with individuals, again, enhancing the customer service experience,” Chavez said. “We know that if someone’s calling us, it’s probably already a bad day to begin with.”He said the text messages will take the burden off the individual to reach out to the department since they will have resources sent to their phone. Messages won’t be sent in all cases, in case the phone ends up in the wrong hands. “We don’t want to be sending them messages when they may be trying to call discreetly,” Chavez said. “They may be in a situation where their focus needs to be on getting to a safe place or getting away from a dangerous individual.”The program costs $17,000 a year. The money for the program is coming out of the budget for the police department. The messages are all automated, but you can unsubscribe from them. “Our dispatchers or our personnel aren’t having to go through any extra steps to send this message,” Chavez said. “It doesn’t require any extra legwork.”
The Lenexa Police Department is using new technology to keep people safe.
It’s called SPIDR Tech and Lenexa is one of the first departments in the country to use it.
The technology sends text messages to some callers after they talk to a 911 dispatcher. The messages could include the status of officers on the way to the call, how to prepare for the arriving officers, and the case number of the report.
Danny Chavez, the public information officer for Lenexa Police, said he hopes this will improve the customer service experience for callers.
“We think it’ll be a positive thing just in terms of police communications with individuals, again, enhancing the customer service experience,” Chavez said. “We know that if someone’s calling us, it’s probably already a bad day to begin with.”
He said the text messages will take the burden off the individual to reach out to the department since they will have resources sent to their phone.
Messages won’t be sent in all cases, in case the phone ends up in the wrong hands.
“We don’t want to be sending them messages when they may be trying to call discreetly,” Chavez said. “They may be in a situation where their focus needs to be on getting to a safe place or getting away from a dangerous individual.”
The program costs $17,000 a year. The money for the program is coming out of the budget for the police department.
The messages are all automated, but you can unsubscribe from them.
“Our dispatchers or our personnel aren’t having to go through any extra steps to send this message,” Chavez said. “It doesn’t require any extra legwork.”