tip411 In The News

Walker County, AL launches tip411 crime reporting app

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office now has an app called Walker Tips that lets residents report crime and remain anonymous. Citizens can send a text tip by texting WALKER plus the tip to 847411.

The project came together with help from the Walker County Chamber of Commerce, Community in Action Coalition and District Attorney Bill Adair.

The push in Walker County is to encourage people to download the free app and use it when they see a problem, from a possible drunk driver to suspicious activity.

Authorities hope this gets teens and young adults more active and reporting crime.

“It’s an easy way for them to communicate their concerns without exposing them to ridicule or peer pressure,” Judge Henry Allred said.

“This is a chance for each of us to be anonymous, completely anonymous, and still fight crime,” Tina Aaron with Community in Action Coalition said.

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tip411 Admin Resources, Agency Spotlight

What Made for a Successful Launch in Onondaga County, NY?

To announce tip411’s arrival at 20 agencies in the Syracuse area, District Attorney William Fitzpatrick did three important things:

  1. Held a press conference and invited chiefs from local departments to attend to show their support for the system and promote its use to local media outlets.
  2. Produced posters and flyers showing agency-specific tip411 keywords that participating agencies could hand out, give to business, hang in city buildings, and use on their social media sites and webpages.
  3. Participated in ongoing promotion – Aside from the initial press conference, the DA and Syracuse Police Chief gave one-on-one interviews to media outlets in the days following the launch to assure continued coverage of the new system in order to reach more members of the public.

See More:

Video – District Attorney Fitzpatrick discusses tip411 outreach
Video -Onondaga County Lauches tip411

 

tip411 In The News

Fredericksburg police launch anonymous tip app

Members of the public have a new way to submit anonymous tips to the Fredericksburg Police Department.

The department has launched a new smartphone app that will allow tipsters to pass on information to the police.

The public can already call police with anonymous tips, or text the department at 847-411 and then text “FPDTip” and then their tip, but this opens up a third avenue.

In all three forms, the tips are sent directly to the department’s communication center. When a person sends a tip, they’ll get a confirmation message. Photos can also be submitted.

The department has not tracked the number of anonymous tips they received, but Police Spokeswoman Sarah Kirkpatrick said several hundred come in per year. Capt. Rick Pennock said tips are essential, and appreciated.

“A lot of major crimes are solved with the public’s help,” he said.

The app was launched in city schools last year as a pilot program, Kirkpatrick said.

“The school resource officers got tips about fights, drug deals, and prevented crimes from happening because of FPD Tip,” she said.

Police say the app may appeal to some people who are reluctant to phone in tips to dispatchers because those calls are recorded. The app does not require the tipster to provide any personal information.

“If they feel safe and secure in giving us a tip through an anonymous way, it’s more help,” Pennock said.

Read the full story at Fredericksburg.com

tip411 In The News

Law Enforcement Agencies Launch Anonymous Web Tip Program

Getting witnesses to come forward can be as challenging as actually solving a crime.

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“If the police receive full cooperation from the general public, that would discourage the bad guys from committing these acts within certain neighborhoods because they know they’re not going to be able to get away with it,” said Frank Fowler, Syracuse Police Chief.

Wednesday, District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick said there are a number of incidents where people should come forward including a deadly shooting in Thornden Park July 4th.

“They’re probably a 100 to 150 witnesses that saw this shooting and as of yet that crime remains unsolved. That’s a community disgrace,” said Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick is hoping a new program will help. Tip 411 allows tips to be sent to any of the police agencies in the county anonymously using their individual tip code. The transmission happens almost instantly and he demonstrated how.

“If you’re afraid of retaliation, you don’t want to leave your name on a voice recording, you don’t want to use your phone on a tip line reach out to Tip 411,” said Fitzpatrick.

Read full story from TWC News

tip411 Uncategorized

Near-instant results for Cumberland’s new CCPOTIP crime text service

When Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae announced the rollout of the expanded countywide CCPOTIP crime tip texting system, she said she hoped the public would use the service.

But she may not have realized how quickly Cumberland residents, when they heard of the system, would put it to use.

Literally just a couple of hours after the Nov. 18 press conference, around 4:16 p.m., the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office received its first tip — information about a fugitive from Vineland.

Jennifer Watkins of the 1500 Block of Mayslanding Road, Vineland, was arrested Nov. 19 on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in Superior Court on a burglary charge, officials said. 

The next day, Sheriff’s Officers Timothy Woods and Joshua Sheppard used the information to track down and arrest Jennifer Watkins of the 1500 Block of Mayslanding Road, on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in Superior Court on a burglary charge, officials said.

She was taken to the Cumberland County Jail, Bridgeton.

“I am encouraged to see that the CCPOTIP app has worked so soon,” Webb-McRae said recently after the first tip arrest with the expanded system. “It demonstrates that this tool is a safe, convenient way for the members of the public to help law enforcement.

Read the full story from NJ.com