The Osceola Police Department is proud to provide a broad Internet presence to better serve the Community. We have added department contact through the City’s new website, on our Department Facebook page where you can become a fan of the Osceola Police Department, the Osceola Police Yahoo Groups page where there is group discussion, or through Nixle, where you can sign up for emergency text alerts.
“We have been exploring several different methods of communicating to and with the general public,” said Osceola Police Chief Marty Duffus. “These methods allow us to instantly alert the public or to ask for their help. The keys to all of these methods are that they are all FREE to the City and to the subscriber, they allow for instant communication with the public, they are convenient and they are secure.”
The Police Department will be using the City’s website for general announcements and non-emergency alerts as well as offering crime prevention tips, officer biographies and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
All users of Facebook can register to become a fan of the Osceola Police Department. The department Facebook page will offer a department email address, crime prevention tips, alerts and requests for the public’s help.
The most exciting communication option we have available is called Nixle. This service allows Osceola residents to subscribe to receive instant messages sent via text message to a cell phone, sent to an email address, or through alerts that will appear on the Nixle website.
“The department can send missing persons alerts, traffic alerts or snow ordinance advisories right to your phone or email,” said Chief Duffus. “And it’s all free which makes it even better. I am sure that once residents start using Nixle, they will find it to be an excellent resource for information from the department.”
To use Nixle, you must go to their website and sign up by entering your email address, cell phone number and your home address. All of this information is secure and cannot be seen by the police department. We will not know who is signed up or even how many people have chosen this service.
“I have been searching for something like this for quite some time,” said Duffus. “But nothing was meeting my standards until we found this service. I’m very excited to offer these net-based options for residents to contact the police department and for us to communicate with the public in an instant format.”
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the police department by calling our non-emergency number at (641) 342-2121 and we’ll be glad to answer your questions.