HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
SOUTH HILO PATROL DIVISION
CAPTAIN LARRY R. WEBER
PHONE: 961-2214
JULY 15, 2005
MEDIA RELEASE
Starting Monday (July 18, 2005), Big Island residents calling the Hilo station at 961-2213 will be greeted with a taped message directing them to the phone number they should be calling.
Captain Larry Weber, commander of the South Hilo Patrol Division, said that the new system will take effect between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
“We did a study of calls over a period of two months and found that our officers spend much of their time directing callers to other sections,” Weber said.
“Many callers who phone the receiving desk actually want another department section, such as Records and Identification, Firearms Registration or Driver Licensing.”
Under the new system, a resident who dials 961-2213 will be greeted with a taped message providing frequently requested police phone numbers, he said.
“If the caller wants to stay on line, he will eventually get to speak to a uniformed police officer at the receiving desk,” Weber said.
The new phone answering system will be similar to the one used at the Kona police station, he said.
“It will benefit our officers, who won’t have to spend a lot of time directing callers to other sections,” Weber said. “It will also benefit callers by giving them quicker access to other department phone numbers.”
# # #
