The Howard City Police Department began using a new communications service Wednesday that allows them to send important community information directly to residents using the latest technology.

The Nixle Community Information Service allows them to create and publish messages to be delivered to subscribed residents via cell phone text message and/or email. Notifications can also be accessed online at Nixle’s web site at www.nixle.com and / or www.howardcity.org.

Messages may include important alerts, lost children, crime notifications, requests for assistance, community events and other relevant safety and community event information.

“We’ve been looking for an easy and quick way to notify our citizens of important notices and the type of activity we are engaged in,” said Howard City Police Chief Steven DeWitt. “We are excited to implement this program to keep our citizens informed. Please take a moment to sign up for the service; it is very quick and easy.”

Residents decide from which local agencies they want to receive information. Subscribers can also choose the way in which alerts are received, whether it is by email, text message, or over the web.

According to the company, Nixle builds on the foundations of other public-to-public communication services, such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, but adds a key component: security. “When citizens receive information from our agency via Nixle, they know it can be trusted,” they said.

Residents of Howard City and Reynolds Township and those in neighboring communities can immediately begin receiving pertinent information via text message, email, and web by registering at www.nixle.com or www.howardcity.org.