HOW TO GET TEXTS OF SAN DIEGO SHERIFF HELICOPTER MESSAGES

Source: San Diego County Sheriff's Department

Prepared by: Melissa Aquino

November 4, 2020 (San Diego) - A new San Diego County Sheriff's Department service is now available to keep you informed. 

Call or text "Hello" to (858) 866-HELO (4356) to receive helicopter messages straight to your phone. 

Sheriff's ASTREA (helicopter) uses a loudspeaker when searching for a missing person or suspect. Announcements are also made during critical incidents such as a SWAT standoff, disasters, crowd management events or to give people a shelter in place notification.

This is not an automated or a push notification service. You still need to call or text "Hello" to (858) 866-HELO each time you hear Sheriff's ASTREA making announcements over your area.

If there is more than one active broadcast at any given time, you have the option to choose the message that impacts your location. Currently, this service is only available for Sheriff's Department patrol areas. To learn more about the communities we serve, visit www.sdsheriff.net/patrol.

While this program is free, you might have to pay to receive text messages depending on your phone plan.

This phone line is not for reporting a crime or emergency. For emergencies, call 9-1-1. For non-emergencies, call (858) 565-5200.

Sheriff's ASTREA (Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies) is a countywide asset that has been providing support to the department and partner agencies since 1971. It currently has nine helicopters. It averages 2,000 missions each year to support patrol, as well as fire and rescue calls around the clock.

Download the contact card for Sheriff's helicopter announcements directly to your phone by scanning the QR code above.