The SPIDR Tech customer service program will send 911 callers automated text or email messages about police response to and outcomes of the calls they’ve made, Denver police announced in a news release posted Thursday on X.
The program began Thursday morning without issue, a Denver police spokesperson wrote in an email.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas stated in the release that this system will use the same technology as online retailers for deliveries and shipping notifications.
The program will send a message 30 minutes after a call is made if police response is delayed and will then notify the caller of the outcome of the response, including if officers handled the situation, if the subject couldn’t be located, or if officers will be on the lookout for problems.
It will also automatically send case numbers to victims to make it easier to follow up or seek more information about a case.
For emergency personnel, this program will hopefully reduce the workload for follow-up calls and status updates for callers.
Callers will also receive a final message inviting them to take a survey to measure their satisfaction with 911 and police response.
Denver also recently started a live-streaming service for 911 callers in a software pilot program that also includes more precise location data, the ability to forward live video to police, paramedics and firefighters as they head to the scene, and potentially the ability to use GPS location data to streamline 911 calls during major incidents, though officials aren’t yet using the latter two functions.
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