Politics & Government

Public Safety Alert System Rarely Used

The dispatches were designed to provide real time information to the community about threats to public safety and disruptions like power outages, and street closures.

Only three email alerts have been sent out by Piedmont's Police and Public Works departments since the city launched its service last October, even though the system is among the Public Safety Committee's primary initiatives. The usage and scope of the alerts are on the committee's .

The list of events that could warrant an alert range from natural disasters and major traffic accidents, to roadwork and power outages, to crime scene street closures, according to the policy now included in the police department manual.

The chief, captains, sergeants and watch commanders are authorized to send out an alert when, "such an alert would aid the City of Piedmont in protecting citizens, easing congestion, aiding public safety employees, etc," the policy reads.

"The idea was to be proactive … when you knew in advance of something that's going to be disruptive … or an emergency that you needed to respond to," said Public Safety Committee Chairman Ray Marshal about the intent of the alert system. "The idea was not to make it be a routine communication."

So far it hasn't been.

Police Chief John Hunt has used the system just once, on April 29, to distribute a warning to residents following a rash of daytime burglaries.

"After I sent out the dispatch about the burglary suspects I had two women approach me and thank me for it," said Hunt.

The chief said that experience demonstrated the system's potential to be a real benefit if used sparingly.

Though the police department has not yet issued an alert about a hot pursuit of a suspect, Hunt suggested that, had it been available on June 1, 2010, the system could have been used to warn the community of robbers who had invaded a residence on Magnolia Avenue

"The street closed right when people were getting ready to commute to work," Hunt said of the incident. "And we had a description of the suspect."

But Hunt says incidents like that are rare in Piedmont.

"I don't want to overuse the system and have people start ignoring it," he said.

Councilwoman Margaret Fujioka, however, would like to see more alerts going out. In response to the chief's showing a spike in burglaries, larcenies, and auto thefts, she suggested the police department could use the system to help combat crime.

"I think it's important that the police, the city, and residents … work together to reduce crime," she said. "[We should] err on the side of greater communication."

Public Works Director Chester Nakahara sent out the first-ever alert on Oct. 18 to give Piedmonters a heads up about roadwork at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Park Way in the center of town, and another on Aug. 4 about paving that would affect several major thoroughfares over the following two weeks.

"For general information it's fine. But I find for general information
it's just as effective to put it in the newspaper," Nakahara said.

Since the alert system requires voluntary registration, the public works director said mailing notices to residents of the affected neighborhoods is still the best way to make sure everyone who needs to be in the know about a certain project is in the know.

So far the system only has about 400 subscribers, representing a small fraction of Piedmont's 3,400 households, according to City Clerk John Tulloch. He said, however, that that far exceeds the number of sign-ups for other city notifications such as council meeting agenda updates.

Marshall said there would be registration drives at the upcoming , and at the Wildwood Dads Club's pumpkin patch and the Boy Scouts' Christmas Tree lot later in the year.

"I'm anxious to increase enrollment," he said.

To register for Piedmont's Public Safety Dispatches email publicsafetydispatches@ci.piedmont.ca.us.


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