Tulsa police dispatcher uses new technology to help find missing teen

We'd like to take a moment to highlight a Tulsa Police 911 Dispatcher and her efforts using new technology to help find a missing teenager last week.

On 2/17/2025, an autistic teenager was reported missing near 12th and S. Trenton. We posted this local alert: https://bit.ly/3DjtNjO

At 2:09 p.m., Dispatcher Alexandra took a call from a Spanish-speaking woman who saw our social media post and believed she spotted the teenager at a gas station near 31st and Sheridan.

Earlier this year, the Public Safety Center, commonly referred to as 911 Dispatch, began using a new system called Prepared 911.

Dispatcher Alexandra used Prepared 911's translation service to communicate with the caller via text. Using Prepared 911, the Dispatcher was also able to receive a photo of the missing juvenile from the caller. The photo received from the caller matched the photo we posted on social media, verifying the location of the missing teen.

911 Dispatch quickly relayed this information to a Tulsa Police Officer, who responded to the area and found the missing teenager just minutes later. He was reunited with his family shortly after.

The Prepared 911 system, which is also used by the Tulsa Police Real-Time Information Center, is used on every smartphone call to 911 and the non-emergency number. It gives callers the option to send photos, videos, and live streams with Dispatchers in emergencies, which can help relay critical information in many different situations.

Prepared 911 also has AI functions that enable voice and text translation services, making it easier for dispatchers to communicate with non-English speakers.

A Little About the Dispatcher:

Alexandra is one of our newest members, graduating from the academy in December. She went through on-the-job training and began taking calls on her own about a week before this incident.

Originally from Eastern Europe, Alexandra is quadrilingual, speaking Russian, Georgian, Irish, and English — and she's currently learning Spanish! Her family moved to California when she was five, and she moved to Oklahoma recently to be closer to her family.

Alexandra says she wanted to become a 911 Dispatcher because she wanted to serve the public, connect with people, and help them in any way she could.

We're grateful for Alexandra's hard work and for using new technology to help our Officers in the field quickly find the missing teenager!