PORTSMOUTH, Va. — It's a new initiative that may seem a bit unorthodox to some, but police say it will keep you safe.
The Portsmouth Police Department has launched a program that urges residents to stay vigilant about their own personal safety by using a whistle.
The initiative is titled Whistle Your Way to Safety.
Here's the vision: if you ever feel threatened or want to alert others in the area of a crime taking place, blow your whistle. If the whistle does not deter the offender, the expectation is that someone hearing the whistle will call 911.
“In our city manager’s vision, we’re going to blow the whistle on crime. Using the low tech and budget-friendly tool, the whistle as a deterrent to crime is making a comeback,” Portsmouth Police Chief Angela M. Greene said. “The police department has already started implementing the Whistle Your Way to Safety Program through our various meetings with property managers/owners at our ACTION (Apartments and Cops Together In Our Neighborhoods), the Chief’s Forum and Faiths Behind the Badge meetings this week. We will continue to educate the public through our regular monthly community, and civic group meetings in addition to a vast social media, and video campaign. Whistles will be available free of charge to our citizens.”
A few people questioned how effective the whistles would be in an emergency.
"It's worth a try, I'll put it that way," Portsmouth resident Valerie Kelly said. "Me personally, if something's going on, that's the last thing I'm thinking of. I'm looking for something big to protect myself with – and it's sure not a whistle."
But there are others who think it's a great idea.
"It would stay on my key chain. I think it's a great idea for everyone. It's a good area for it too," Tony Lucero said. "It's going to get your attention."
Another resident, Marlon Hamilton said it's something he'd consider keeping handy and it would attract his attention if he heard it.
"I would run, basically try and see what's going on because you never know… I'd probably go see and call 911," he said. "You might have a person who maybe has a disability who may need help and they're by themselves so they might need a whistle."
The police department was inspired by 19th-century British police tactics where officers would use a whistle to alert their fellow officers that backup is needed or trouble was afoot.
Some U.S. police jurisdictions adopted this same practice. Saint Paul (Minnesota) Police Department implemented a similar whistle policy in 1802. The Oak Park (Illinois) Police Department equipped citizens with brass whistles in response to a spike in robberies and continued the strategy through the 1980s.
“I believe this program will prove to be an effective and practical means of additional security for our citizens. Today, law enforcement still depends on the unique sound a whistle provides that will garner the attention of distracted drivers, and assisting with control of large crowds. We would like to employ these same tactics for our citizens when they are out in the public. Should a citizen feel threatened and want to alert bystanders, the whistle is an easy and valuable way to alert any individuals in the area that you may need assistance,” Chief Greene said.