The Morgan Hill Police Department just rolled out a new online platform that allows officers to better communicate with local crime victims.
The platform, known as SPIDR Tech, was just launched at MHPD earlier this week. SPIDR Tech enables MHPD officers and staff to send mobile-friendly and automated messages to victims of crimes and 911 callers, according to an Aug. 21 press release from MHPD.
“This technology will help us to meet our strategic objectives of enhancing trust in the department and providing improved services to victims of crime,” MHPD Chief David Swing said.
Often due to a lack of resources, police agencies throughout the country struggle to effectively communicate with their “customers”: crime victims, reads the press release. This results in a lack of transparency, unrealistic expectations, frustrating outcomes and poor public perception.
With SPIDR Tech, MHPD can automatically send one-on-one text messages to the department’s customers, police explained. Messages are triggered off the department’s Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems data.
Once a report is taken, victims need basic information, such as their report number and an explanation of next steps. With the victim notifications platform, victims are proactively informed, resulting in fewer incoming administrative calls to MHPD. SPIDR ensures most victims automatically receive a quick note and detailed message without additional work from MHPD staff.
“Being a victim of a crime is never easy” MHPD Capt. Emil Kokesh said. “Victims deserve to know they have been heard and that something is being done.”
SPIDR Tech was founded by two former police officers who witnessed firsthand the opportunity for police departments to match the standard of service that customers expect from the private sector. SPIDR Tech CEO Rahul Sidhu credits advice he was given by his commanding officer when he was a rookie officer.
“Every department has a bank of trust,” Sidhu said. “Every time you walk an old lady across the street … you’re making a deposit in the bank of trust.”
MHPD shares the belief that each interaction with the community is a deposit into the bank of trust, and the new messaging platform will help increase their balance, reads the MHPD press release.
“We look forward to rolling out the SPIDR Tech platform,” Swing said. “This technology allows us to communicate in a transparent and effective way with both reporting parties and crime victims. By keeping the lines of communication open we can build upon the trust and confidence already in our department’s ‘bank’ and better serve our community.”
