APD now offers text-to-911, help with Neighborhood Watch setups
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks announced during the most recent Atmore City Council meeting two new initiatives — one designed to aid victims who find themselves in a dangerous situation, especially during domestic incidents, the other to improve general safety within the city through community involvement.
911 texts
Brooks said the Emergency Communications Center at Atmore Police Department (APD) is now equipped with technology that “enhances the way emergency services respond to potentially dangerous or silent 911 calls.”
Dispatchers now have the capability to initiate text messages to individuals who call 911 but are unable to speak for safety concerns or who hang up before a dispatcher answers or immediately after.
“This new software allows dispatchers to shift an incoming call to text-based communications, enabling critical two-way communication in situations where it may be unsafe or impossible for the caller to talk with a dispatcher, situations like domestic violence, abductions, home invasions, active shooters or other emergencies where speaking aloud could put the caller in greater danger,” Brooks said.
If a 911 caller hangs up or remains silent once the dispatcher answers, the dispatcher will assess the situation and, if the situation calls for it, initiate a text message to the number from which the call came, allowing the caller to discreetly communicate his or her emergency without speaking.
Text-to-911 is now available statewide but should only be used when calling is not possible or speaking could put the caller at risk, or if the caller is deaf, hearing-impaired or experiencing a medical emergency.
Brooks said APD’s 911-to-text capability should help police get a better and faster hand on handling calls involving violence, which plagued the city through the end of 2024 and into early 2025, as well as other crimes that disrupt the peace.
“This is a really huge thing,” the police chief said. “Citizens can now text us, and we’re proud to have that in our dispatch center. We’re doing everything possible to reduce this black cloud we’ve had. Also, we continue to pray for peace.”
The police chief said the new application’s motto is, “Call if you can, text if you can’t.”
Neighborhood Watch
Brooks also announced the launch of new initiative designed to “empower local residents in promoting public safety and strengthening community ties” by helping establish Neighborhood Watch programs throughout city.
APD will operate in partnership with citizen-led programs by providing residents with tools and knowledge needed to organize, communicate, and help deter crime through “proactive observation and information sharing.”
Brooks pointed out that a Neighborhood Watch group “brings community members together to look out for one another and report suspicious activity.” Such a group also will “work closely with local law enforcement to enhance security and promote awareness in their neighborhoods” and will act as the “eyes and ears” of the community, he said.
APD will assist residents in starting their own Neighborhood Watch program by providing training, crime prevention materials and attending group meetings. APD will play a supportive role, with day-to-day leadership functions being citizen-driven.
Any resident or neighborhood association interested in forming a Neighborhood Watch program is urged to call Waylon Jones at 251-368-9141, extension 1168 or email to info@atmorepolice.us.
“It will be a shared responsibility,” said Brooks. “Through a Neighborhood Watch program, residents can play a crucial role in making their neighborhoods safer and more connected.”