Thornton’s Emergency Communications Center is wrestling with intermittent outages on its non-emergency phone line, leaving some residents temporarily stuck when trying to report routine, non-urgent issues. Officials stressed that true emergencies are still getting through, and anyone in immediate danger should call or text 9-1-1 without hesitation. While technicians work on the problem, the department is steering many non-urgent reports to its online systems and says it will share updates as they come in.
What To Call And Where To File Non-Emergency Reports
As posted on the Thornton Police Department Facebook page, residents are being asked to use an alternate non-emergency number, 303-920-5070, while the primary line is down. The city's regular non-emergency dispatch line is still listed as 720-977-5150, according to the City of Thornton contact page. For many minor incidents, police are nudging people toward the department's online reporting portal to help cut down on wait times while technicians sort out the issue.
File A Report Online
The department's online reporting tool takes non-violent reports, including theft, fraud, and damaged property, and assigns a case number after an officer reviews the submission, according to the Thornton Police Department. The portal is meant for incidents that are not happening in real time and when there are no known suspects. If a situation involves violence or immediate danger, the site reiterates that people should contact emergency services instead of using the form.
9-1-1 And Text To 9-1-1 Remain Available
Officials are reminding residents that 9-1-1 is still the quickest way to get help and that the Emergency Communications Center is fully receiving emergency calls and texts. Per the Thornton Police Department's Text to 9-1-1, “Text to 9-1-1 refers to the ability to send text messages to local 9-1-1 call centers,” and it should be used only when a voice call is unsafe or not possible. If there is any doubt about whether something counts as an emergency, the department advises residents to err on the side of caution and contact 9-1-1.
What Officials Say And Next Steps
Thornton police say technicians are digging into the cause of the non-emergency line outage and that they will “share updates as they become available” on their social channels, according to the department's Facebook post. Residents are being asked to keep the alternate number limited to non-urgent concerns so dispatchers can stay focused on emergencies while the system is being restored. City and police officials plan to post follow-up information as the situation develops.
