Why You Shouldn’t Forget About Grand Rapids’ Text-to-911 Service

The Grand Rapids Police Department and the Kent County Sheriff's Office rolled out text-to-911 capabilities for the area last year. It's a service that many don't think to utilize, especially in the heat of the moment. So that's why the GRPD has put out a reminder.

What Is Text-to-911 and How Does It Work?

Text-to-911 is an amazing service for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but it can also be used by others in many situations in order to keep them safe.

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It's important to be sure to give your location when you text. You should also keep in mind that you cannot send photos or videos using this service.

Emergency Situations For Grand Rapids' Text-to-911 Feature

This is one of the types of instances that the GRPD has pointed out as being a perfect time to use the text-to-911 feature.

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Emergency examples of when to use the feature include:

• When you see a crime happening.
• When you see a fire.
• If you have a medical emergency and are unable to call.
• When you are in an active domestic violence situation.
• If you have been in a car accident and you or someone else involved is injured.

Non-Emergency Situations for Grand Rapids' Text-to-911 Feature

There are also some non-emergency instances when the feature can be helpful.

Non-emergency examples of when to use the feature include:

• Welfare checks.
• To report petty theft.
• Following up on a car accident that you were involved in.

In non-emergency situations, you can also always call the GRPD non-emergency number, which is (616) 456-3400.

Real-Life Example: When Calling Wasn’t an Option

This is actually a service that I wish I had remembered existed a few months ago. I was home by myself when a man came and knocked on my door. I wasn't expecting any visitors, so I assumed it was a solicitor and didn't even bother to get up and answer.

At that point, the man began violently banging on my door and swearing loudly, which definitely didn't make me want to get up to open the door. Even my dog, who usually barks if the wind blows funny or if a doorbell rings on TV, was too scared to go to the door.

He then attempted to unlock the door before going around to the front door and pounding on it, then tried to open it.

(It sounds like he's yelling "Help!" in the video, and he may have been. But that is definitely not what he was yelling for the majority of the time that he was banging on the doors.)

When that didn't work, he attempted to kick the door in.

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All of this was happening while I was sitting very close to both doors with no way of moving without him seeing me. It also wasn't safe for me to call 911 because he absolutely would have been able to hear me speaking.

Eventually, the man was scared off by a neighbor, at which point I called the police. Had I remembered that I could text 911, police could have been at my house quickly and stopped the incident from getting to the point that it did.