Call if you can…text if you can’t. The Antioch Police Department dispatch center is now capable of accepting text to 911 services. We are proud to announce that we are one of the first agencies in California to offer this alternative contact for emergency police services.
You use this feature by simply sending a text to numbers, “911.” This service does not provide your location, so it’s extremely important you include that in the body of the text.
This is relatively new technology, so there are some limitations. Not all cell service providers offer the ability to text 911, and users can only use this function if they are in an area where the cell tower being utilized for the transmission is routed to our dispatch center. If either of these conditions exist, users will receive a response directing them to make a voice call to 911 instead.
Useful tips for texting 9-1-1:
• Only use text to 911 in an emergency where making a voice call is impractical or impossible.
• No pictures, icons or emojis can be received.
• Text to 911 cannot be transferred to County fire and medical dispatchers. Therefore, text to 911 requesting these services may result in delays due to our need to relay the information back and forth.
This is another example of how the Antioch Police Department continually strives to provide innovative and alternative solutions to better serve our community.
