SLCPD to Launch New Technology to Better Serve Community Members

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, the Salt Lake City Police Department announced it will be launching new technology on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, to better communicate with and serve people needing police or emergency services.

“The technology we use today will help shape the future of policing here in Salt Lake City,” said Chief Mike Brown. “We will be leveraging technology that gives 9-1-1 callers vital updates on our services. This is a standard our community expects. We see it play out in real time in the private sector. The Salt Lake City Police Department will embrace new opportunities to engage with community members, provide timely updates, and to gather feedback.”

The SLCPD will launch SPIDR Tech, a digital customer service engagement tool, on June 27, 2023.

This technology is designed to keep victims of crime, reporting parties, and 9-1-1 callers updated after they request police assistance and services.

SPIDR Tech, a Versaterm Public Safety company, is a fully automated system that provides callers pertinent information and updates about their case or incident via text message or email.

When community members call for police services or assistance, they 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.

In the future, the technology will also provide notifications on the status of a case, to include, in some circumstances, if an arrest is made, and whether the case is closed.

The third component of this technology allows for the caller to provide feedback for both the call taker from SLC911 and the SLCPD officer – if the person interacted with an officer.

The automated messages will be sent in English and Spanish.

A flow chart, using examples of the automated text messages, is shown below.

Funding for this technology comes from the Salt Lake City Council which approved the additional funding in June 2023 for the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

The Salt Lake City Police Department thanks the City Council for their investment into public safety.

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