Sheriff’s office launches new site

The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office has launched a new website with features intended to expand “community oriented policing.”

The new website features old favorites like news releases and daily logs, while adding more information about the Sheriff’s Office community services and implementing a public notification system that aims to get important information out to the public quickly, said Sgt. Rachelle Whiting, who led the revamp project.

 “It’s all about getting more information out to the community,” she said.    

The Sheriff’s Office is utilizing technology called Nixle, which is a geographic-based public notification system available free of charge.    

Residents can go to the website and register for the service, which uses address information to send relevant alerts, advisories and community updates from the Sheriff’s Office by e-mail and cell phone text messages.    

“People do have to go out there and register to get the service,” Whiting said.    

The Nixle alerts are not intended to take the place of official emergency notifications conducted through “Reverse 911” or the Emergency Alert System, where the public is being instructed to take immediate action to ensure safety, according to the Sheriff’s Office.    

Whiting said the Nixle alerts will also update registered users with information such as street closures, road obstruction and power outages in their area.    

“If they are alert to it then they can plan ahead for it,” she said.