Wed. Apr 24th, 2024

Cell phones for texting

“Police in Orange County’s largest city, Santa Ana, want to use cell phones to alert people in the community who register as having interests in specific areas as part of its new Citizens Alert Network. It’s a two-way texting plan to alert people about crime trends, descriptions of suspects, missing persons advisories, crime prevention tips, as well as information about current fraud schemes and scams,” according to NBC News, Los Angeles.

Here is what the Santa Ana Police Department has to say about their new Citizens Alert Network:

Welcome to the Santa Ana Police Department’s Citizens Alert Network!

We are always looking for ways to keep an open and effective line of communication between our Department and the public we serve.  The Citizen Alert Network is just one more way we accomplish that goal.

With the Citizen Alert Network, SAPD can immediately update you about crimes and emergencies, as well as provide critical information specific to your neighborhood. Conversely, the Network allows you to share information about specific incidents in your area, with the ability to anonymously provide text tips directly to the Department. 

All alerts are delivered via e-mail and/or text message on your cell phone or computer.

  • Citizen Alerts inform all registered users of public safety concerns in your area. The Alerts contain information about crime trends, descriptions of suspects, missing persons advisories, crime prevention tips, as well as information about current fraud schemes and scams.
  • Business Alerts, targeted to specific business types, will offer information about crimes pertinent to your business.
  • Watch Group Alerts allow law enforcement to send targeted alerts to specific neighborhoods or community groups with information about crimes occurring in an immediate area.

To sign up for the Citizen Alert Network, simply visit the Citizen Observer website. And once you’ve completed the electronic form, I encourage you to help us spread the word about this valuable new tool and invite your neighbors to join.

SAPD is proud of our new e-services and we encourage you to use them to stay informed and stay alert. 

Our goal with the Citizen Alert Network is for you to stay connected and foster increased community involvement.

Thank you for your continued support of the Santa Ana Police Department. The men and women of SAPD look forward to building on our strong relationship with the community



By Editor

The New Santa Ana blog has been covering news, events and politics in Santa Ana since 2009.

One thought on “SAPD to send text alerts via new Citizens Action Network”
  1. Hello,
    I have just signed up for this citizen alert due to a rash of crimes that have been happing in my neighborhood. There have been several reported robberies where a male suspect exits a car and snatches a necklace off an unsuspected female victim. The suspect description is the same in all cases yet this community alert has not posted this crime trend or sent any warning to us about the potential danger that women and girls are in.I am trying to get the message out that the Santa Ana Police department is not providing the service that that promote about this citizen alert network

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