Bishop Police Department upgrades to automatic phone system

It’s out with the old and in with the new at the Bishop Police Department (BPD).

A few months ago, BPD switched over from an operator directing every call to the right department to an automated phone system to direct calls.

The change comes after BPD dispatchers switched over to Metronome.

“It’s an automated phone menu that we have for callers when they call our administrative line. They get several different options that way we can direct them to the services that they’re looking for a little more efficiently,” Bishop Chief of Police Edward Day said.

KRIS 6 spoke with some neighbors about what they think of the change. Some told us they aren’t a fan of the automated system because they want to speak directly to a person. Others said the change doesn’t affect them. And others like Bishop resident Devon Bush said she’s used to dealing with automated systems and advises that patience is key.

“If I had an emergency situation I’d probably call 911. If I was calling a police station, it’s something that’s not a super emergency and I’d probably be calm enough to listen to an automated system,” Bush said.

However, Bush said that she can understand the frustrations that come with an automated system.

“They can be frustrating especially if your question doesn’t follow a pattern to one of the options on the phone call,” Bush said.

Chief Day said it shouldn’t take more than a minute to listen through all the menu options on the call.

The phone options are as follows:

• Option #0: BPD Administration
• Option #1: BPD 24/7 Non-Emergency Dispatch
• Option #2: BPD Administration/ Chief of Police/ Vehicle Impounds/ Criminal Investigations
• Option #3: Animal Control Services
• Option #4: Code Enforcement/ Permits
• Option *: Repeat menu Options

If a caller is unsure whether or not their situation is an emergency, just dial 9-1-1. A dispatcher will determine if action is required or if the caller should hang up and call the non-emergency line.
To contact the Bishop Police Department and hear the menu options, call 361- 584-2443.

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