People used to think the world was flat. Maps showed the far uncharted regions as fearsome and mysterious places. Unexplored areas were labeled “Beyond this point there be dragons.” It took a few courageous people like Drake, Columbus, and Magellan to dispel the myths. Chief JR Gamez and the Redwood City CA Police Department have shown the courage and innovation these explorers would have been proud of.
The Redwood City Police Department stepped into unknown territory when they implemented video chat to engage with its citizens. As far as anyone can tell, they are the first police department in the U.S to do this. They have used Nixle, Twitter, Facebook and other communication and social media tools for quite a while and were looking for more - they wanted to go where no one had gone before.
Chief Gamez wanted to keep moving forward. They wanted an innovative and efficient way to connect with citizens. The department and the citizens it serves are a fairly tech savvy bunch. This led them to take a good hard look at video chat. They went to the IT department who brought a few good options to team. After careful review, “Netop was the clear way to go for us,” said Captain Chris Cesena.
With Netop’s video chat, called Live Guide, people can talk to a uniformed member of the department. Community service oriented. They can ask questions, get help with their online reporting system, get information about events going on in the city, get referrals to other city departments, report suspicious activity, and more. And it is all done face-to-face if they want to or by text or just voice.
Sworn police officers on modified duty staff the video chat service Monday through Thursday from 9AM to 5PM. They are looking at expanding hours to later in the evening.
Captain Cesena said the get a wide variety of community service calls. “We wanted to make it convenient for the public to get a hold of us and get what they need,” he said. They also stress that the video chat is not a replacement for 911.
The Netop Live Guide video chat solution helps the department use resources efficiently and effectively. This is a great example of using technology to help accomplish an operational goal.
Netop’s vision is to “erase the barrier of geographical distances and create a world where people connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime." You can find out more about Netop solutions at www.Netop.com. Prices start at only $80/month for the Live Guide video chat solution. That seems more than reasonable.
The Redwood City PD has also participates in the Bay Area Law Enforcement Social Media Group of regional police departments interested in how to use social media most effectively. This is a public-private partnership with technology companies providing guidance and even places to meet. Other city departments are looking at using Netop Live Guide as well – the Fire Department, Public Works, Building and Planning, and other department are all seeing uses for video chat.
The Redwood City Police Department was also the first international award recipient of The ConnectedCOPS Excellence at a Small Agency Award for outstanding work using social media.
Redwood City and their video chat solution are getting worldwide attention. They are a city on the edge, exploring the boundaries of customer service and pushing the dragons off the map.
For more information about how Redwood City is using video chat you can contact Chief JR Gamez at the Redwood City Police Department (main #: 650-780-7100).
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