For Immediate Release

December 16, 2024

SJPD TO LAUNCH NEW TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER SERVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS

ST. JOHNS – Today, the St. Johns Police Department announced it will be launching new technology on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, to better communicate with and serve people needing police or emergency services.

“This technology will help shape policing services in the City of St. Johns,” said Chief Lance Spivey. “This technology will provide updates to crime victims and other reporting persons regarding calls for services and their individual cases.” This is a standard our community expects.

In addition to providing these important updates, “the SJPD will use this technology to engage with the community, evaluate performance and gather feedback from the community we serve.”

The St. Johns Police Department will launch Versaterm CommunityConnect tool, on December 17, 2024

"The St. Johns Police Department's adoption of Versaterm CommunityConnect underscores its dedication to providing the highest levels of service to their community by fostering trust and transparent communication,” said Rohan Galloway-Dawkins, Chief Product Officer of Versaterm. "St. Johns PD can keep residents informed with timely updates while enabling them to provide valuable feedback on their experiences. This two-way dialogue promotes continuous service improvement and strengthens community relationships. We are proud to support St. Johns PD in delivering modern, community-driven service that prioritizes meaningful engagement."

CommunityConnect is a fully automated system that provides callers with pertinent information and updates about their case or incident via text message or email.

When a community member calls for police services or assistance, the caller should expect to receive a text message or email acknowledging their call for service.

If the responding officer is delayed, an automated message will be sent to the caller letting them know about the delay. In some cases, a delay may occur when a higher priority call for service comes in and the officer must be diverted or when the city’s overall call volume causes delays.

The CommunityConnect program will also provide notifications on the status of the case, to include, in some circumstances, if an arrest is made, and whether the case is closed.

The Community Connect program allows the caller to provide feedback for both the call taker (dispatcher) and the SJPD officer – if the person interacted with an officer.

If the caller does not speak English, the automated messages can be sent in Spanish and Navajo as needed.

Funding for this project was provided from grant funding which is administered by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.

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