SLO police chief: Social media is great — but it’s no substitute for calling 911

Following the attacks of 9-11, “If you see something, say something,” became a nationwide call to action, urging all Americans to be on the lookout for and report suspicious activity as a civic duty. It’s become so ubiquitous there was even a national “See Something, Say Something Day” on Sept. 25.

No doubt the concept is solid and works.

Working in law enforcement, I have seen first-hand how an engaged community with open eyes and ears can be a game changer when it comes to safety. There is, however, one very important caveat as we find ourselves in the year 2022 with dozens of communication channels at our immediate disposal: If you see something, say something … but not just on social media, please.

I am proud to say that the city of San Luis Obispo has a wide variety of ways we communicate with our community. And like many organizations in the business of providing services, we are constantly adapting to new communication technologies and trends. This improves efficiency and leads to higher community satisfaction in nearly all cases.

I happen to work in one area where the opposite is true: When reporting crime or issues of concern, contacting the Police Department directly is still the right call.

Like other departments, the Police Department thoroughly enjoys connecting with our community on social media platforms. We are grateful for the personal connection these tools help build. However, police dispatch is not alerted to posts on social media and city staff do not monitor those channels 24/7.

When community members post a message on the city’s social media pages or email City Hall to report criminal or nuisance-type activity, there is a delay in relaying this information to the Police or Fire Department. A community member’s posts on NextDoor are only visible to their immediate neighbors and generally, government agencies cannot see these messages.

What happens when you call 911

The most important things to report directly by calling or even texting 911 are crimes in progress and immediate threats to public safety. However, in reality, no call is too small.

Our dispatchers use a system to assess call priorities so that less urgent calls will not divert police resources from critical emergencies. This system is the reason why not all calls or texts to 911 result in an officer coming right away.

It’s also the reason why when you call or text 911 the dispatcher asks so many questions. Sometimes callers get concerned about the time this takes but rest assured dispatchers are in constant contact with units in the field, even while they are talking to you.

By being an extra set of eyes and ears on the street and reporting suspicious activity through the proper channels, you are helping keep our entire community safe.

The Police Department also maintains a 24/7 non-emergency line, (805) 781-7312, and an online crime reporting portal, both of which can be used when an officer is not needed immediately at the scene.

Whichever way you choose to get in touch, the information you share is captured by our crime analyst and used not only to address your emergency, but also to look for patterns, identify trends and plan future coverage.

The San Luis Obispo Police Department is not alone in offering multiple ways to connect.

Your city of San Luis Obispo government is active on social media and sends regular updates to residents via email. The city just launched a refreshed website design and is developing an app that will make it easier than ever to request non-emergency city services.

For services outside of the city’s purview, such as health care and social services, calling 211 links residents to the county’s resources.

We feel providing an increasing array of ways to connect only improves communication and engagement. In the near future, we will also have the ability to receive photos and video to 911, but the technology is just not there yet.

As we continue to evolve in how we communicate with the community, please take advantage of the many different channels we offer. And as you do that, remember the basics: Call 911 for emergencies, call (805) 781-7312 to report non-emergency issue and call 211 for health care and social services.

Rick Scott is San Luis Obispo’s chief of police.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 7:30 AM.