Franklin and Gulf County residents can now text 911

Franklin and Gulf County residents now have the option to text 911.

The counties' management teams introduced the service to give people another way to contact law enforcement.

Sheriffs from both counties say people can send a text if they're in an emergency situation or if they've witnessed a crime.

"They can text relevant information in, remain anonymous as the information comes in, of course in some situations we've got to reach back out to that person and inquire a little bit more if they were an eye-witness to a serious crime, but with today's technology, we needed something like this," Gulf County Sheriff Mike Harrison said.

The text messages will alert a county dispatcher, who will then reach out and assist as needed.