Derbyshire Alert

Derbyshire Alert is a two-way messaging system which can be used by Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT’s) and the force Media Team to make contact with the public via email or text message. The messages are sent to specific targeted areas where a crime has been committed. The system can also be used for information appeals of less urgency, for crime prevention advice and the advertisement of police engagement events.

Short, succinct targeted messages are created by SNT’s and the media team to give out warnings regarding scams and crimes, alerting the public. Messages can also ask for assistance from the public by requesting CCTV camera footage and dash camera footage in an area of interest, saving hours of police time in the collection of evidence, and in turn speeding up the criminal justice process.

Users of the system are grouped into areas of interest. Some examples of the groups are CCTV owners, dog walkers, church watch and school watch. By creating groups, we are able to refine our target audience. For example, a dog walker will be out walking during the early hours of the day and later on in the evening. Past experience has told us that this group of people can be helpful with our enquiries.

A message can be sent to residents in real time, allowing the public to look out for evidence and report it back immediately to the officer concerned, or via other force communication channels. This system gives officers more time to spend gathering good quality evidence, as is asks the public to help in areas where they can.

Derbyshire Alert works with other agencies including local authorities, Action Fraud and Crimestoppers to get messages out. This spreading of messages via other agencies results in huge coverage throughout Derbyshire of a single relevant message, such as missing persons.

Users are able to log on and join Derbyshire Alert via the website. This allows them to manage their own accounts. They can opt out and change the settings as and when they require. Users have a guarantee that their information will only be used for a policing purpose and not shared with agencies that do not have a vested interest in public safety.

Derbyshire Police use other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to communicate with the public. These media channels help to build good, strong trusting relationships with the public, as engagement tools. Derbyshire Alert is a more formal method of communication and asks for assistance with specific criminality. All the media channels work together to complement each other.

The forces aim is to increase the users of Derbyshire Alert by signing up more residents to use the alert system, making it a main channel of communication between the police and the public.

You can sign up by logging onto the website and completing your details on line at www.derbyshirealert.co.uk or by filling in a form from your SNT representative and sending it to the address given.

Help us to improve our communication and work together to provide a better police service for the residents of Derbyshire.

For more details, contact Carole Woodall, Communications and Engagement Team, Police HQ, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3RS.

You can also contact us via the below methods:-

· Facebook – send us a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary

· Twitter – direct message our contact centre on @DerPolContact

· Website – complete the online contact form www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us.

· Phone – call us on 101.