Oakland Police Department launches new 911 text service

OAKLAND – Starting on Thursday, residents in Oakland can now contact police during emergency situations by texting 911, police said.

Police are still encouraging residents to call 911 if they can during emergencies, however, residents can use the new text service during emergencies where they can’t safely place a phone call.

Additionally, the service can be used by those who are deaf or hard of hearing or have speech or language disorders, police said.

To use the service, residents can enter 911 without spaces or hyphens, and include the emergency, as well as the address and cross streets.