Shoot 911 a distress text in 2018

As technology continues to progress in the world, it seems the next advancement in central Ohio will come in the form of text messaging 911 to alert them of an emergency, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

The new option to alert the police comes in as more and more subtle and discrete ways of calling the police for safety emerge. Recently, iPhone added a new feature to their devices where the user can tap the side power button five times to bring up a menu that will track your movements if you feel you are in a dangerous situation. Additionally, safe ride apps like Uber have been taking extra precautionary steps to protect people. As for the new texting option with 911, it will find its most use when a person is in a dangerous situation, but needs to remain quiet in their predicament. The person can silently text 911 about the situation without giving away their hidden spot.

While police still recommend calling as a first option, the addition of texting is a nice feature for a person who might be witnessing a crime or hiding from a break-in. The new feature is also great for those who are hard of hearing or deaf. The Dispatch report mentions future updates to the system such as adding in the ability to send photos and videos to 911, but for now, it’s strictly text messages.

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