STARK COUNTY, Ohio — The Stark County Sheriff’s Office is working to improve transparency and community relations daily. That’s now possible with software called SPIDR Tech, which the county used federal grants to buy.
Whether a 911 call pertains to an emergency or a non-emergency situation, Captain Ryan Carver with the Stark County Sheriff’s Office says service response is of the utmost importance.
“We really strive to be transparent with the community and stress upon our staff to provide good customer service,” Carver said.
The software SPIDR Tech is being used by other Northeast Ohio law enforcement agencies, but it’s new to Stark County. It went live at the county dispatch center two weeks ago.
“It’s really designed to help us evaluate our service and see what we can do to provide better service to the community,” added Carver.
After any call for service, the caller will receive a text message afterward with resources or updates like when a deputy is on the way and the status of the call.
SPIDR Tech is not to be confused with the 911 texting program, where callers can live text back and forth with dispatchers.
“And about 24 hours after we complete service for the community, they will be sent a link where they can essentially grade the performance of our staff,” said Carver.
The Brunswick Police Department implemented SPIDR Tech 7 months ago.
Lieutenant Robert Safran said that, over that period, BPD has sent 2,000 surveys a month, with about a 30% return rate. Safran said it’s helped the department improve call response times.
“Dispatch already does that, they keep tabs on where officers are at and what types of calls they're responding to, but with the data we received back from SPIDR Tech, we're able to say, ok, this is an area where we need to improve a little bit as far as response times,” said Safran.
Carver said clear communication is the key to ensuring safety and trust, and this new program is a continued effort in that direction.
“It gives us that opportunity to review different viewpoints from people in the community and adjust the service we provide,” said Carver.
The Stark County Sheriff’s Office said there is a portion of the program that has not been rolled out yet but will be in the coming months. It ties in with a record system management upgrade that the entire department is currently undergoing.
