Chief John Swenson

Lino Lakes Police Now Using tip411 to Communicate with Residents

Tony Stano wanted for some time to bring the product he’s helped sell to communities around the country to the city where he lives.

“It’s kind of a passion project for me,” said Stano, who lives in Lino Lakes and is sales director for Tip411, a Twin Cities-based company that has operated a law enforcement communication platform for nearly 20 years.

“I know how important it is to every community we work with because it’s a complete community engagement tool that works to provide a safe space for residents to get involved in government where they might not otherwise feel inclined to say anything about what’s happening in their neighborhoods,” Stano said.

Lino Lakes Public Safety Department is the latest agency to sign on, and the system is now live.

“This is a platform for us to have really on-going engagement with our community,” said Public Safety Director John Swenson. “(Residents) can also provide information to us anonymously through text messaging, through the app, or through the website.”

It works seamlessly with the department’s existing social media platforms, including Facebook, which has continued to prove popular with people who live and work in Lino Lakes.

Tip411 also divides the city into four zones to streamline communication and make each zone specific to where users are most interested in knowing what’s going on.

“Simply by clicking a couple of boxes, we’re able to send that information across all of our social media platforms at one time, which is a real advantage for us,” said Swenson. “Public safety really is a partnership. We cannot possibly keep track of everything that’s going on in our community.”

“It doesn’t matter the size of the agency or community,” said Stano. “If you can send a text, download an app, or manage the internet in any capacity, you can utilize Tip411 to participate in neighborhood safety.”

Help Fight Crime

Washington County Sheriff’s Office launches new app for reporting substance use

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with Healthy Acadia to launch a new mobile app, WashingtonCo Sheriff, which allows residents of Washington County to anonymously notify law enforcement about underage drinking and illegal drug use.

A press release from Healthy Acadia states users of WashingtonCo Sheriff can submit tips directly from their smartphone via an anonymous text. Tipsters are encouraged to provide specific details about the location of the violation and the people involved, if possible. The tipster’s name and telephone number will remain completely anonymous.

They said the app is available for both iPhone and Android users and can be downloaded for free via the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store.

The sheriff’s office said residents in Washington County without a smartphone may still send an anonymous tip via text message to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office by texting the keyword WCSO and their message/tip to 847411 (tip411) from their cell phone.

Those without access to a cell phone may submit an anonymous tip online using the form found here: https://www.tip411.com/tips/new?alert_group_id=21864.

Read the full story from News Center Maine

Introducing tip411 Select

translation-machinetip411 Select will allow your agency to connect with specific groups within your community like never before by allowing them to communicate in their preferred language. This cutting edge app, which can be customized for your agency, will make interacting with your residents easier, more efficient, and instantaneous.

Over 40 languages will be available for your community to select what app interface they want to interact with.

Contact us to learn more about tip411 Select or download the tip411 Executive Summary to see all of our product offerings.

Leander PD launches crime fighting app

The Leander Police Department announced their new app that allows the community to anonymously share any public safety concerns directly to the police.

The app created by tip411 will send a secure message from your smart phone to LPD about any suspicious or criminal activity.

In a press release officers said they hope this will become a powerful tool for the community to fight-crime.

“The Leander Police Department understands that fighting crime takes a working partnership with the community. We cannot be everywhere at every moment so we rely on the members of the community to be our eyes and ears,” said Police Chief Greg Minton. “We know that the members of our community are our greatest resource.”

Read the complete story from the KXAN.