Public safety officials in the Las Cruces area say the ability for the public to use text messages to report crimes and other emergencies to 911 operators is coming.
The Las Cruces Sun-News says officials predict that Dona Ana County residents will be able to contact 911 dispatchers by text message by the fall of 2015 as new equipment comes on line.
However, New Mexico State University police chief Stephen Lopez says the traditional call to 911 is best and that texting should be reserved for rare instances when people cannot talk on the phone.
The Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority plans an equipment upgrade that will include 911-texting capability, and the NMSU Police Department also plans to get the capability.
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