Those used to getting alerts from the Union County Sheriff’s Office may have noticed those notifications have stopped.
Sheriff Jamie Patton said his office has, at least temporarily, stopped working with the Nixle alert system. He said in late 2018, the company notified users that the service departments had been receiving for free would need to be paid for in 2019. In the past, the sheriff’s office has been able to push notifications of road closures, blocked railroad crossings, treacherous driving conditions, delays and a other items of interest to subscribers.
“We are negotiating with them right now to see what is would cost to get the program we had been using,” Patton said.
He said the villages, townships, Union County and Marysville are all discussing whether they want to use the paid Nixle system, Nixle 360, or look for something else.
“We all want to make sure we are making the right decision, countywide, and make sure we are making the right business decision,” Patton said.
Part of that business decision could be eliminating the county’s CodeRED Weather Warning system. Patton said the Nixle 360 system is capable of doing everything the CodeRED and prior Nixle systems were doing. That includes contacting cellular and landline phones.
The sheriff said it is important to be able to get information to residents who do not have smart phones or even cellphones.
Union County and the associated townships and municipalities that use it split the cost and pay a total of $14,500 annually for the CodeRED. Patton said the Nixle 360 service would cost an estimated $12,800.
Patton reiterated that no decision has been made and it is not his alone to make. He said it is important that all the municipalities and townships that use CodeRED are on board.
“We haven’t made that decision. We don’t know what we are going to do. We are looking at all our options.
In the mean time, the sheriff’s office is releasing a new app for smart phones.
The new app, available free for both Android and the iPhone, can provide subscribers with direct alerts of police activity, road closures, motor vehicle accidents as well as other items.
Patton said he has been working with the developer, thesheriffapp.com, for nearly a year to create the app. He said that while the timing has been “a saving grace” with the discontinuation of the Nixel alerts, that in not the reason for the app. Patton said the sheriff’s office website is stagnant and can be difficult to find and navigate.
“Our stand-alone website was not performing where we felt it should be,” Patton said.
He explained that he had seen the developer at a conference several years ago, but contacted the company last year. The sheriff said he believes the public is more likely to interact with an app on a cell phone than the website.
“People want information instantaneously and aren’t going to websites,” Patton said.
He said elements included on the app are the result of our daily discussions with people.”
The app contains a section for frequently asked questions, information about concealed carry weapons, sex offenders, most wanted fugitives, criminal reports and Union County inmates at the Tri-County Regional Jail.
It also allows the user to contact the sheriff’s office, submit a tip or share their location with others, if they are lost.
“Any actual emergency should still be reported via 911,” Patton said.
Patton said he is pleased his office is the first in the state to have this app. Because Union County was the first, the developer gave Patton a price break on the initial buy. Patton said Union County paid $8,052 for the development and will pay about $5,000 annually for maintenance of the app.
“In today’s world, this particular app is so user friendly and has so much capability, we felt this is where we needed to go for our community,” Patton said.