Announcing Tip411 in Hancock County
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Mobile app allows anonymous tips of illegal substance use

Police departments across the state are battling staffing shortages, which has led many departments to find new and creative ways of getting information about illegal activity. 

In Hancock County, it’s becoming easier than ever to report crimes and now, you can report crimes without even dialing 911.

“Many people with their busy lives don’t want to take the time to provide information, or sometimes, they just don’t want to be known,” said Hancock County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Patrick Kane.

Now, residents of Hancock County have a new way of reporting crimes, particularly underage and illegal substance use, and they can all be made anonymously.

It’s part of the program TIP 411. Tips can be sent through a mobile app called HancockCO Sheriff that is available on the app store and google play. It can also be submitted online through the department’s Facebook page, or by sending a text to the number 847-411, with the keyword HCSO to start the message.

The main goal of this app is to prevent underage and illegal substance use. The program has been developed in partnership with Healthy Acadia, who shared a similar mission.

“Something in the community can do to reduce access to substance use,” said Healthy Acadia Community Health Director Maria Donahue.

The non-profit Healthy Acadia works to create healthier communities across Hancock and Washington Counties. The group received funding for tip 411 through Maine Prevention Services. 

“The earlier that youth start using substances like alcohol and other drugs, the more likely they are to develop problems later in life,” said Donahue.

For Chief Deputy Kane, this new tool is the way of the future. 

“I think that this is just the tip of the iceberg with technology such as it is,” said Kane. “This is going to work not only here, but I think you’ll see this grow in Maine and nationally,” he added.

See the full report from News Center Maine

Panama City Police Safety App
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Panama City Police Department launches ‘tip411’ alert system app

Reporting crime just got a little easier. The Panama City Police Department just launched an app called ‘tip411’ that allows the public to directly communicate with the investigators and officers at the station.

“If we have a situation to where we are actively investigating a case or we have a rash of burglaries or crimes within the area, this app gives us the ability to push out this information to the people residing in that area and for them to communicate information of stuff that they might see back to us,” said Investigative Services Lieutenant Chris Edmunson.

The app allows the investigator to communicate back and forth to the tipster, and it is all completely anonymous.

“Once the citizen sumits the tip to us, it immediately comes to us right there and the investigator assigned to that case will have the opportunity to immediately review it and then ask questions to that tipster,” Edmunson said.

This idea came from one of the police department captains and later being developed by Detective Kristian Shaw. It is an easy process.

“This allows them to a little bit of anonimity to come forward and to provide us with this information to follow up on some of these cases we’re working,” Edmunson said.

While living in a tech-savvy world, the department feels that this app will enhance the community’s safety.

“This is how people communicate nowadays,” Edmunson said. “They communicate through phones, through texts and through apps just like this, so I think it is going to enhance that communication between us and the citizens.”

The app is up and running and free in the Apple Store and Android Store. If you do not have a smartphone, you can still submit a tip on the city of Panama City’s website.

See full story from MyPanhandle.com

Hebron Schools Tips
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Hebron Schools awarded grant for tip411

Safety is a top priority at Hebron Schools. Thanks to Kankakee Valley REMC’s Operation Round Up, Hebron now has one more way to help their students feel safe. The company awarded the a grant school to help cover the costs of an anonymous tip line.

The Hebron Tip411 app allows students to report concerns to administrators and school resource officers without the worry of retaliation. Hebron Middle School Principal Jeff Brooks says, “This empowers students to have a voice in keeping their school a safe place.” Students can send a message through the app or simply text their concerns. The app also allows them to include images and video.

Since the launch in late August, staff and administrators have received over 20 reports that have enabled them to be proactive in preventing student concerns from becoming serious events. Reports on potential bullying, fighting, vaping, drug use, and student welfare are just a few of the tips that have been received by administrators.

“Over half of our tips have included photos or screenshots of the issue being reported,” School Safety Director, Mike Grennes says. The photos and screenshots give administrators an advantage in determining how to track down and handle these concerns.

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Wildlife Crime Tips Program Issues Nearly $4,000 in Rewards

It’s a “crime stoppers” program for outdoor sports, issuing rewards for tips related to wildlife offenses. Louisiana Operation Game Thief awarded $3,950 to tipsters across the state at its quarterly meeting on Oct. 2.

LOGT was instituted in 1984 and provides cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of violators of fish and wildlife regulations. 

Funds are raised through private donations, court directed contributions and through contributions from cooperative endeavor agreements with organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation and Quality Deer Management Association.

Recently, the LOGT board reviewed 12 cases that included public tips from informants.  A total of 27 subjects were apprehended and 62 offenses were written for offenses related to deer, migratory game bird, alligator, oyster and fishing cases.

Anyone wishing to report wildlife or fisheries violations — and remain anonymous — should call LDWF’s 24-hour toll free Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or utilize LDWF’s tip411 program.  To use the tip411 program, tipsters can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone and Android apps.

Read the story from BossierNow.com

Lake Co Sheriff Department
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Editorial: On drugs, alcohol, resist being the ‘cool’ parent

Deciding to become a whistle-blower is a process fraught with questions and doubt.

You worry about what people will think of you. You worry about becoming a pariah. You worry about how your revelation will affect others, often people you know.

You must be able to convince yourself that by exposing nefarious activity, you will eliminate a dangerous situation and, in the end, make things better.

Not all whistle-blower complaints will lead to presidential impeachment inquiries. In Lake County, the sheriff’s office is entering a four-year trial program with the Stand Strong Coalition to facilitate a crackdown on teen drinking and drug use by encouraging parents and kids to make anonymous tips.

“Parents and students tell me all of the time that they know where underage drinking is occurring, and they worry for the youth involved,” Jamie Epstein, executive director of the Stand Strong Coalition, told our Doug Graham. “However, they have not found a way to share their tips with police in a way that feels comfortable to them. We are pleased to partner with the Lake County sheriff’s office to offer parents and youth this tool to do the right thing when they know of illegal and unsafe activity.”

To anonymously send in a tip to the Lake County Sheriff’s office, send a text message to 847-411 and start the message with “123 TIP.” You’re encouraged to include as much detail as possible. The sheriff’s office will act as go-between, sharing the tip with the appropriate law enforcement agency.

You might shrug and say, “Kids will be kids. We did it when we were younger.”

Perhaps some of us did, but not all of us made it to adulthood.

The Drug or Alcohol Impaired Minor Responsibility Act became law 15 years ago after a raucous hazing ritual at a Glenbrook North High School powder puff football game resulted in a drunken brawl that landed five girls in the hospital.

It bears repeating every homecoming season that any adult who supplies alcohol or drugs to minors is liable for what might happen later — usually when someone gets behind the wheel of a car.

If you find the distinction between right and wrong elusive in situations like this, just know that you could face limitless damages if someone were to be killed as a result of you being a “cool” parent.

With the legalization of recreational cannabis for adults just around the corner, this message is more important than ever.

Read the full article from the Daily Herald