Paris PD Eliminating “Text2Protect”

Paris Police Chief Bob Hundley

Release by Paris PD Chief Bob Hundley

With the installation and successful testing of the text to 9-1-1 capability, the Paris Police Department is discontinuing the ‘text2protect’ program. We started this program on May 21, 2014, to make sure we had the ability to communicate with our citizens regardless of their choice of device. The program did well and many calls for service came through the program. Once the texting to 9-1-1 became operational recently, we took a look at keeping a redundant system. We want our 9-1-1 dispatchers to be more focused on the 9-1-1 lines. Also, we have not received a text since November 8. I’d like to recognize Russell Thrasher, one of our city’s IT department part-time staff and full-time EMS Paramedic for putting the technical part of this program together. The text2protect program was a bit of a training ground for the eventual move to the texting to 9-1-1, so our personnel is in a better position to be efficient with the new service.