A Suffolk County police car is shown in this 2012...

A Suffolk County police car is shown in this 2012 file photo taken in Bay Shore. Credit: James Carbone

Suffolk's 911 emergency call system is operating as normal Tuesday evening after going down earlier in the day but the department's "text to 911" system is now unavailable for software maintenance, officials said.

County police said the 911 system went down early Tuesday, likely because of a programming glitch that appeared to affect many East End police departments. During the outage, the department's backup system was working and police officials were able to take 911 calls.

Nassau law enforcement is not affected, county police officials said.

The texting program, which allows cellphone customers to send a message to the 911 call center in Yaphank during an emergency, will be unavailable while maintenance is performed on the software, officials said.

In the event of an emergency, residents are asked to dial 911 for a police or fire department response. Residents can also dial 631-852-COPS — the nonemergency police number.

Police in Riverhead and Southampton said they also experienced 911 call system problems earlier in the day but were back online Tuesday evening.

From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Credit: Randee Daddona, Gary Licker; Newsday / A.J. Singh

Put a little love in your heart with the NewsdayTV Valentine's Day Special! From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.

From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Credit: Randee Daddona, Gary Licker; Newsday / A.J. Singh

Put a little love in your heart with the NewsdayTV Valentine's Day Special! From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months

ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME