Santa Maria Police launch message technology to communicate with the community

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Maria Police Department launches a new messaging technology to communicate with residents who are in need of officers' assistance.

According to the department, when someone in the community calls dispatch, the dispatcher notifies an officer.

A text message is sent about 5 minutes after the call, but the officer may not necessarily be on the way at that time.

If there is a extended response time, there will be a follow up text message saying there is a delay.

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