UCCS Police is making it easier for students to contact them through a new texting feature that lets users text dispatch, including photos, with no additional app needed. The text system also automatically translates languages.
On Nov. 1, the UCCS Police implemented the new feature for students to text the UCCS Police number. The new text system was made possible by a third-party service called Prepared Live, a resource that is typically used by city 911 dispatchers.
UCCS Police Communications Manager Shantelle Zimmer said the text feature can be useful for students who are in unsafe situations, have a disability that makes phone calls difficult or speak a different language. The feature translates messages sent in a different language to English and translates responses from police to the language the message was sent in.
“With the Prepared feature, we really wanted to ensure that we’re able to reach as many people across our campus as possible, and so Prepared provided us the opportunity to host 250 languages. And so now, we’re able to communicate with pretty much any language we have here on campus, which is really helpful for our international students,” she said.
Along with texting, Prepared has several features that could be useful in a variety of situations. With their consent, UCCS Police can access the user’s location to send assistance directly to them. Zimmer said this could be useful in situations where the user is lost. Prepared also allows the police to tap into the user’s phone camera to see the situation. This feature works by sending a link to the user’s phone, which they have to click on and consent to provide access.
“We get to see in real time what’s happening. So, [Prepared] truly helps us be almost on scene, which also helps us provide that information to our officers quicker and also provide more details that a caller may not be able to verbalize on the phone,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer added that the text feature may also be helpful in situations where the person trying to contact the police doesn’t have good service and a text message may be able to go through when a call wouldn’t.
“I think it’s great for us to be one of the first college campuses to use it [Prepared] because we can really show the benefit that it has to other campuses,” Zimmer said.
Because of the lack of use, the text messaging feature has replaced the chat feature that was available on the UCCS Safe App. Zimmer said that the UCCS Police only received an average of two messages a week through the chat feature in the safe app.
“With the chat feature, people had to have the app downloaded,” she said. “We understand the reality is not everyone wants to download an additional app.”
Zimmer said calling is still the preferred option in emergencies. Students can call or text the police at (719) 255-3111.
The graphic announcement emailed out by UCCS Police on Nov. 1. Graphic courtesy of UCCS Police.