Citizen Observer
Part of the Cambridge Alert Network, Citizen Observer is a service used by the Cambridge Police Department to send e-mail and text alerts about crime and other notifications to the various neighborhoods of the City. Click here for the Citizen Observer privacy policy/terms and conditions.
Residents are encouraged to sign up to receive notifications for their neighborhood as well as the "CITYWIDE" group. The groups are as follows:
- Cambridge PD: CITYWIDE
- Cambridge PD: East Cambridge
- Cambridge PD: MIT
- Cambridge PD: Inman/Harrington
- Cambridge PD: Area 4
- Cambridge PD: Cambridgeport
- Cambridge PD: Mid-Cambridge
- Cambridge PD: Riverside
- Cambridge PD: Agassiz
- Cambridge PD: Peabody
- Cambridge PD: West Cambridge
- Cambridge PD: North Cambridge
- Cambridge PD: Cambridge Highlands
- Cambridge PD: Strawberry Hill
Notifications will come in three forms, outlined below:
Citizen Alerts. The most important and timely notification from the police will be labeled as such and sent to the affected neighborhood(s) and the "CITYWIDE" group. These alerts will typically be sent within 12 hours of the incident during the following scenarios:
- Threats to Public Safety
- High Profile Incidents
Advisory. This type of notification will be primarily used to share important information with the community and will be sent to affected neighborhood(s) and the "CITYWIDE" group if the information affects the entire community. Typically, these notifications will be sent following the monthly BridgeStat release, and will include information about the following:
- Significant Incidents and Follow-ups
- Crime Patterns Identified in BridgeStat
Neighborhood Info. Notifications will be sent to inform individual neighborhoods about neighborhood-specific information that does not apply to the city as a whole, such as:
- Neighborhood Meetings
- Other Neighborhood-Specific Announcements
*Citizen Observer also allows people to text anonymous crime tips
to the police, helping provide valuable information to investigators and make our community a safer place.
To receive emergency alerts, sign up with CodeRED. For general city notifications, subscribe to Cambridge E-Line.
Please email PIO@CambridgePolice.org or call 617-349-3237 with questions or for help signing up.