The Clinton Police Department is extending another avenue of communication to the public, this time an alert system that allows citizens to get up-to-the-minute information on crime, traffic, weather and local events.

The Tip411 Alert System is a component of the department’s existing Tip411 program designed to keep residents as informed as possible, while allowing police and those they serve to easily interact with each other. The department has been testing the system, which is similar to what other municipalities and colleges use.

Citizens choose to participate in the program and receive a text in the event of an emergency or other major events. The program is similar to the city’s ConnectCTY, but more direct and quicker than a phone call, city manager Shawn Purvis noted.

“This program allows citizens to subscribe to this alert, which they can receive either by text or email. It will alert people to such things as crime — say we have car break-ins in a neighborhood that we want to tell people about — or events, like a triathlon or N.C. 24 work, and we may have some traffic situations,” Police Chief Jay Tilley said.

The alert system will benefit the city greatly, Tilley noted, especially during emergency situations when disseminating updates and information quickly and efficiently is paramount.

“We saw the need during a hurricane, when so many people were going to the Police Department’s Facebook page to get information,” the police chief said. “We thought we needed a better way to get information to them. We decided we wanted to look into this program.”

Jean Ko, senior administrative specialist and social media coordinator for the department, recently unveiled the program in a presentation to City Council, which gave its blessing to proceed with getting the word out to the public.

“Alerts are always fast, direct and interactive,” Ko attested. “CPD is planning to send out alerts in three perspectives — events, crime watch and also traffic alerts. We don’t want to bombard citizens with tons of information on thousands of alerts. What the Clinton Police Department is going to send out is going to be important.”

Those wishing to sign up for the Tip411 Alert System can go to the Clinton Police Department’s Facebook page and click “Sign Up Alerts” on the left-hand side, or visit the Tip411 webpage at tip411.com/people/sign_up and fill in all required information. That includes an email address, password and postal code, which will allow for Clinton Police Department to be chosen as the agency. Those signing up can choose whether they want to receive alerts via text message or emails, or both. A text will be sent asking the recipient to confirm they want to receive alerts.

When alerts are sent out, they will be sent in a condensed form accompanied by a link to the full information.

That page with the full information will offer the option to share the alert with others via Facebook and Twitter, as well as share an anonymous tip — the interactive portion, Ko pointed out.

“The Clinton Police Department believes that this alert system will assist the general public greatly in receiving valuable information and interacting with CPD,” stated Ko, who added that the system offers that communication to go both ways. “They can immediately respond and interact with the Clinton Police Department and provide us with valuable information.”

All previous alerts can be seen at the recipient’s personal Tip411 page, and the method by which alerts are received can be modified simply by logging back in to the Tip411 page and editing at anytime.

“This can be a valuable communication link between the citizens and the police in a time of emergency,” Tilley stated. “I encourage all citizens in Clinton to sign up for this service.”

Citizens are encouraged to contact Clinton Police Department at 910-592-3105, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., if they have any questions about signing up for the CPD Alert System.

Clinton Police Department officials are urging citizens to sign up for the Tip411 Alert System to receive up-to-the-minute notifications concerning crime, traffic, weather and local events. They can do so by visiting the CPD Facebook page at facebook.com/ClintonPolice1 or the Tip411 website, at tip411.com/people/sign_up.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_preview-page-001.jpgClinton Police Department officials are urging citizens to sign up for the Tip411 Alert System to receive up-to-the-minute notifications concerning crime, traffic, weather and local events. They can do so by visiting the CPD Facebook page at facebook.com/ClintonPolice1 or the Tip411 website, at tip411.com/people/sign_up.

By Chris Berendt

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Reach Managing Editor Chris Berendt at 910-249-4616. Follow the paper on twitter @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.