Saint John police are facing criticism for how long it took to issue an emergency alert about a potential armed person in Rockwood Park.
Police responded to a call of shots fired in the area of Mabee Road around 5:10 p.m. Wednesday and arrested a woman at the scene.
About 20 minutes later, a man arrived at the hospital with what was believed to be a gunshot wound, police said in a news release.
“The victim told police he sustained the injury caused by an unidentified person while walking in a wooded area within Rockwood Park,” said the release.
Officers evacuated a large area of the park and issued a shelter-in-place advisory on social media around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
It took another two hours to issue an emergency alert, which can reach more people through TV, radio and many wireless devices.
Several social media users expressed frustration and questioned why it took so long for the alert to be sent out to area residents.
RELATED: Police cancel emergency alert after Saint John shooting
Sgt. Matthew Weir said they can post information more quickly on social media, but must gather certain information for emergency alerts.
“We want to make sure that we can get as much information as possible to put into one of those alerts so that it is more beneficial for the public to be better informed of what is taking place,” Weir told our newsroom. “So that process can take a little bit of time, depending on how the investigation is unfolding.”
In addition, the municipal police force is not able to issue emergency alerts on its own. In the case of Wednesday’s incident, the alert was issued by the New Brunswick RCMP.
However, Weir said he does not believe having to go through the RCMP led to any delays in getting the necessary information out to the public in a timely manner.
“My understanding is that once we do have the information that is required, and we submit it to be sent out, I believe that that is a fairly quick process,” he said.
“What seems to take a little bit of time is getting that initial information right off the hop. As you imagine, these situations are dynamic and there are quite often numerous people to talk to and leads to follow up with right away.”
The emergency alert was cancelled just over an hour later after police determined the man was injured in the Mabee Road area, not Rockwood Park.
Weir encouraged residents to follow the police force on social media and to sign up for email notifications through the city.
