Narberth committee to rebuild police FAQ and launch outreach on 911 vs. non‑emergency reporting
January 19, 2025 | Narberth, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
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Members of the Narberth Police Advisory Committee devoted substantial time on Jan. 14 to the borough police FAQ, the borough website, and how to reduce confusion about 911 and non‑emergency reporting.
The group identified several immediate tasks: coordinate with borough staff (Kelsey and Maggie) to resolve a malfunctioning anonymous comment feature; reorganize the FAQ into user‑friendly categories (communicating with police, local ordinances, animals, weapons and additional county/state resources); and gather model pages from other municipalities so the committee and borough staff can select a format that fits Narberth’s small size.
Committee members noted the borough website is scheduled for redesign in spring 2025 and said an interim fix may be needed for the anonymous comment process. The committee assigned homework: each member will review municipal police FAQ pages and bring three to five models to the next meeting for discussion. Members said they will coordinate with Maggie and Kelsey to learn when the borough’s redesign will be built out and what interim solutions are possible.
A major communications concern centered on when residents should call 911 versus a non‑emergency line. Committee members reported instances where residents left messages on a local office number instead of calling 911, and at least one member described a delayed police response to a car break‑in that may have resulted from not using 911. The committee discussed options including a PR campaign, flyers, videos, social‑media graphics and school outreach. Members asked Chief John String and borough staff for data on how often non‑911 contact methods produce delays and requested Montgomery County policies on non‑emergency routing (311) to understand regional constraints.
Members also agreed to ensure committee representation at an upcoming Narberth Civic Association meeting where Chief John String and Andrea Deutsch are scheduled to speak on Jan. 29, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at Narberth Borough Hall; members said they will arrange for at least one committee representative to attend as a liaison and to report back.
Next steps recorded by the committee included: contact Maggie to evaluate PR resources; confirm the anonymous comment process with Kelsey; compile three to five FAQ models for the next meeting; and ask the chief for statistics on non‑emergency contacts and response times to guide messaging.
The group identified several immediate tasks: coordinate with borough staff (Kelsey and Maggie) to resolve a malfunctioning anonymous comment feature; reorganize the FAQ into user‑friendly categories (communicating with police, local ordinances, animals, weapons and additional county/state resources); and gather model pages from other municipalities so the committee and borough staff can select a format that fits Narberth’s small size.
Committee members noted the borough website is scheduled for redesign in spring 2025 and said an interim fix may be needed for the anonymous comment process. The committee assigned homework: each member will review municipal police FAQ pages and bring three to five models to the next meeting for discussion. Members said they will coordinate with Maggie and Kelsey to learn when the borough’s redesign will be built out and what interim solutions are possible.
A major communications concern centered on when residents should call 911 versus a non‑emergency line. Committee members reported instances where residents left messages on a local office number instead of calling 911, and at least one member described a delayed police response to a car break‑in that may have resulted from not using 911. The committee discussed options including a PR campaign, flyers, videos, social‑media graphics and school outreach. Members asked Chief John String and borough staff for data on how often non‑911 contact methods produce delays and requested Montgomery County policies on non‑emergency routing (311) to understand regional constraints.
Members also agreed to ensure committee representation at an upcoming Narberth Civic Association meeting where Chief John String and Andrea Deutsch are scheduled to speak on Jan. 29, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at Narberth Borough Hall; members said they will arrange for at least one committee representative to attend as a liaison and to report back.
Next steps recorded by the committee included: contact Maggie to evaluate PR resources; confirm the anonymous comment process with Kelsey; compile three to five FAQ models for the next meeting; and ask the chief for statistics on non‑emergency contacts and response times to guide messaging.
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