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Narberth committee approves six-month pilot for dedicated police administrative phone line
Summary
At its March 25 meeting the Narberth Police Advisory Committee reviewed a proposed audit of outgoing phone prompts and supported activating an existing administrative police number on a six-month pilot to reduce caller confusion while reminding residents to call 911 for current incidents.
At its March 25 meeting, the Narberth Police Advisory Committee reviewed revised phone-tree messaging and agreed to implement a six-month pilot of a dedicated police administrative line to reduce confusion about when to call 911.
A committee member said the group had recommended auditing all voicemail prompts and after‑hours recordings used by the borough and police to ensure messages are consistent and unambiguous. The presentation proposed activating an existing police number (610‑664‑8160) so that, during office hours, calls route to the borough office staff (Kelsey) and voicemails are collected for administrative follow‑up, while after‑hours calls would ring officers.
Why it matters: committee members said inconsistent phone messaging has left some residents unsure whether to call 911 or seek a non‑emergency contact, and that unclear expectations can delay reporting and follow-up. The pilot is intended to preserve the existing public message that callers should use 911 for ongoing incidents while giving residents an administrative option for report follow‑ups.
The proposed after‑hours script presented to the committee included the explicit direction: “If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911. If you remain on the line, you can leave a voicemail. This voicemail may not be received for up to 48 hours.” A committee member said that wording is meant to prevent false expectations that voicemails will be monitored immediately outside office hours.
Operational plan and review: the committee reported the number can be activated by the phone vendor within about a week. During the six‑month pilot, voicemails would be routed to Kelsey and not necessarily checked outside business days; the committee will review whether the extra number reduced confusion or merely split calls in ways that mislead residents. Members agreed to call the number themselves after activation to evaluate how the recorded message sounds and to solicit public feedback.
Outreach: members suggested community outreach (printed material at Narberth Day and civic‑association tables, website wording changes, and testing language with mental‑health and legal perspectives) to reinforce that 911 remains the correct route for current incidents while the administrative line is for daytime follow‑up.
The committee asked borough staff and the police department to report back with user feedback and any operational issues at future meetings. The trial and any subsequent recommendation to the borough council will be documented once the six‑month evaluation is complete.
