Queensland Police Service (QPS) has launched an initiative which will see its officers and staff using SMS and email to contact members of the public.
In a statement, QPS said police officers could now send an SMS to a person from their Queensland Police Service email account.
“The message receiver will be able to reply directly to the sender by texting a reply message,” QPS said.
“People who are involved in an incident for example — traffic crash, domestic violence, crimes, which have been reported, may receive a text message from police.”
QPS said the messages could contain updates on reports, requests for information or to contact police, or reminders for appointments.
“Police officers with a mobile device, e.g. smart phone or tablet, can issue an electronic traffic infringement notice (eTicket),” QPS said.
“Officers can serve the e-ticket to the person by SMS, email or by mail to the person’s address.”
“These tickets are issued only after having a face-to-face contact with a police officer.”
In another example, the QPS said that if a vehicle had left a service station without paying for fuel, a text or email would be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner advising them to contact the service station.
The QPS advised that police would never ask people to provide bank account details; PayPal or any personal financial details or ask that a direct payment be made.
“If you receive a fake SMS or email message or have been targeted by a scammer, reports can be submitted to the Australian Cyber Security Centre,” QPS said.
