ATHENS, Ala. — Coffee....check. Badge...check.
White Bison Coffee in Athens hosted "Coffee with a Cop", a community outreach program designed to encourage communication and positive interactions between law enforcement and the public.
The events encourage officers to talk with people outside of work calls so they have a better understanding of what the community needs.
Athens police officers enjoyed a cup of joe and spoke with people about what they wanted to see happen in their neighborhoods.
Athens police sergeant Katrina Flanagan said, "It's nice to mix with them outside of being on calls and everything else. We have a pretty good community here."
In Huntsville and Madison County, you can text 911 if you are in an emergency in which you can’t speak, according to Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center Director Chris Tucker.
"Just pull up the text app in your smart phone, and key in 9-1-1 in the recipient field and key in your message, always put it in the location and the nurture of your emergency and click send," Tucker says.
If possible, calling 911 should be your first choice.
Tucker said this service benefits people who are deaf, hearing or speech impaired along with people in situations where it would be unsafe to speak, such as an abduction, home invasion or domestic violence.
The service is currently only available in English and for the following carriers:
- AT&T
- Verizon
- T-Mobile
- Sprint
Additionally, Tucker said to never use abbreviations or slang and that photos, videos, emojis, attachments and group texts are not accepted by text to 911.
"We want to ensure that no matter who receives the text message, that they understand and get you the help that you need," he says.