Crime & Safety
Residents Can Receive Sheriff's Alerts
Nixle sends public safety information on traffic and crime via cell phones or e-mail.
Calabasas residents can now sign up to receive important public safety information via their cell phones and e-mails.
Recently, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department began using an instant notification system called Nixle to send geographically specific information directly to the public, free of charge.
Alerts could include information on arrests, traffic incidents, road closures, wanted persons, missing persons or crime trends.
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"This kind of technology is very secure," said Lt. John S. Benedict of the Malibu/Lost Hills Station. "The idea is that government agencies like the sheriff's department can send out alerts specifically to residents in the Calabasas area in a timely and efficient way."
Nixle allows people to sign up specifically for the alerts they want. The messages can have a maximum of 10,000 characters and can include maps and photos.
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"You can be sure the information you're getting is valid, because it's being sent through a registered government agency, unlike Twitter and Facebook where you're getting bombarded with all kinds of stuff and who knows from whom," Benedict said.
He said he had used the notification system Wednesday morning to alert motorists about an accident on Pacific Coast Highway during rush hour. "The people who had signed up on Nixle got our alert and were able to take alternate routes to get to work on time," Benedict said.
The system is secure and reliable and promises to send no spam or share user information. Subscribers can opt to receive messages by visiting Nixle.com and clicking on the "residents sign up now" button.
For text only alerts from Sheriff's Headquarters text LASheriff to 888777 (standard text messaging rates apply).
Benedict stressed the importance of the new service.
"The public should sign up for Nixle because it is fast and you can get up to date information from your public safety organization," he said. "We are the first to know when something happens and we can pass on that information to our residents instantaneously."