crime – Page 21

January 2, 2019December 28, 2018 drivi86 In The News

Tye and Tye PD launch tip411 app for residents

The City of Tye and the Tye Police Department have announced the launch of a new app to help residents connect with the City and the police department.

Citizens will be able to find information, receive important alerts from the City and submit anonymous tips from their smartphones.

The Tye PD app is available for download for free via Google Play Store, the iTunes App Store or by visiting the Tye Police Department website at CityofTye.org/PoliceDept .

“Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Tye by working in partnership with the community.” Chief Jay Strong of the Tye Police Department said. “We believe our new Tye PD app from tip411 will help make it safer and easier for residents to share information with us to increase safety in our community and receive important information from the city.”

The new app allows the public to share anonymous tips with police and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. Residents can also register to receive important public safety alerts, information about road closures, water leaks, weather and more, via email or text message.

The app and tip411 anonymous text-a-tip system are 100 percent anonymous with technology removing all identifying information before police see the tips, leaving no way to identify the sender.

Residents in Tye without a smartphone can share information with police by sending an anonymous text tip via their cellphone to police by texting keyword TYEPD and their message/tip to 847411 (tip411).

Anonymous web tips can also be submitted through the department’s website at CityofTye.org/PoliceDept

December 17, 2018December 28, 2018 drivi86 Agency Spotlight

Statewide Agencies Seeing the Benefits of tip411: An Interview with South Carolina DNR

tip411 interviewed Captain Lee Ellis of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources about his agency’s use of tip411.

Q: Tell us about your agency (how many sworn, how many areas/miles are under your jurisdiction, etc.) and the agency’s role in the state.
A:The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division currently has 262 sworn officers. SCDNR Law Enforcement has statewide enforcement authority with the primary responsibility of enforcement of the state’s criminal codes related to Hunting, Boating, Recreational and Commercial Fishing, Homeland Security, and Search & Rescue response. SC DNR is responsible for patrolling 30,111 square miles of land, 460,000 acres of lakes, 8,000 miles of rivers, and 3,000 miles of coastal waters.

Q: How did you hear about tip411?
A:Upon taking over our “Operation Game Thief“ anti-poaching program, I determined that SCDNR needed to increase the avenues through which anonymous reporting of violations was possible. At the time we had a toll-free phone line as the only means of reporting violations. Through talking with other states and conducting some internet research, it was determined we wanted to be able to receive tips not only through our website, but with the huge usage of smartphones we felt an anonymous tip phone app would also need to be a requirement. After talking with several vendors it was determined that tip411 was a perfect fit for our needs.

Q: How is tip411 administered in your agency (responsibilities, protocols, etc.)?
A:All tips come into our 24 hour radio dispatch facility. Once a tip is received, the dispatcher corresponds with the tipster and, once the area where the violation is occurring is determined, an officer assigned to that area of responsibility is given the tip for follow-up.

Q: How has the tip411 system aided your agency?
A:Through the use of tip411, which we named SCDNR Tips, we have received over 1,100 tips since going live in July of 2016. During this time, officers have not only received information regarding violations through the tip411 program, but they have received photographs and videos through the tip app as well. This not only aids in prosecution, but in many cases the violators have admitted to their actions once confronted with the photographic or video evidence.

Q: Any notable tips/arrests credited to tip411 that come to mind?
A:We have made numerous arrests from tips submitted through tip411 for violations such as night hunting, out of season hunting, hunting over bait, and taking over the limit. The fact that our officers have a direct line to contact the tip submitter without breaking the anonymous nature of the system allows for immediate updates while investigating tips. SCDNR has received numerous tips on crimes other than natural resource violations over the past 2 years, and we pass this information on to the appropriate agency or collaborate during the investigation to ensure they receive the information they need without compromising our tipsters’ personal information.

Q: What have you done to promote your tip411 system to make sure residents know about it and use it?
A:We have issued news releases on our program and have used media advertising to ensure the message gets out to residents across the state.

Q: Many of our customers are local police departments. Being a state agency, what advice would you give to other agencies like yours who may be considering tip411 or an anonymous tip solution?
A:At first, SCDNR began using these tip submission opportunities as a test to see if these venues were successful. As tip411 is a low cost subscription-based service, it allowed our agency to avoid purchasing software and the costs associated with maintaining expensive software programs. In just a short time it has proven it was a worthy investment, and we recently renewed our subscription for another 2 years.

Q: Anything else that’s important to note?
A:The service provided by tip411 has been great! Their technical help working with our IT department has allowed for SCDNR to go from a single toll-free phone tip line to submission venues using our agency website, agency Facebook page, agency smartphone app, and to link with private outdoor related apps to provide a direct link to our tip submission venues even when not using an SCDNR app.

December 10, 2018December 28, 2018 drivi86 In The News

Are crime-fighting apps truly a boon for law enforcement?

In a recent update from the National Sheriff’s Association, tip411 was mentioned in an article about crime-fighting apps:

“Fort Myers Police Department in Florida launched a similar app called the Tip411. It will allow Southwest Florida residents to submit tips and report non-emergency criminal activity while remaining anonymous.

It will not replace 911 calls, but the police believe that it will help them make the neighborhoods safer with the help of an engaged community. At this point, it is a win-win, but it remains to be seen whether these apps turn out to be the boon that their makers promise them to be.”

Click here to read the full story.

December 2, 2018December 28, 2018 drivi86 In The News

“It’s been pretty successful so far in the short period of time that we’ve had it…”

The Augusta Police Department is using new technology that they hope will keep the community safer and more aware.

The Augusta Police Department recently launched a new app.

“Basically what it is it’s an anonymous way for people to communicate with us,” said Augusta Police Chief, Jared Mills. “They download the app for free and they can provide us with information and at the same time we can push information out to them.”

The app, Augusta PD, allows users to send in tips completely anonymously.

They tell us that tips have already led to a number of crimes being solved.

“It’s been pretty successful so far in the short period of time that we’ve had it,” said Mills. “And at the same time, we’ve gotten information on drug deals, car accidents, you name it, things that have come to our attention or happened in the city through this app. So it’s been working very well for us.”

Staff Sgt. Christian Behr is the one who found the company to help create the app.

He says that being able to communicate with people anonymously adds another aspect to the police work they do.

Full story from WABI5

November 28, 2018December 28, 2018 drivi86 In The News

Inver Grove Heights PD Launches New Text Tip Tool

In a day when technology reigns, the Inver Grove Heights Police Department decided to turn to the devices that are almost always attached to people’s hands to help fight crime.

The department announced via its Facebook page Nov. 7 it will utilize Tip411, a program that allows folks to submit tips the way many communicate most — via text message.

Utilizing phones

Chief Paul Schnell said the program has been around for a number of years and is used by agencies in Minnesota and across the country.

“We know simply that we have a texting culture and people want to provide information, but one of the things that keeps some people from reporting or calling or providing information is the fact that they’re concerned about their anonymity,” he said.

Tip411 allows people to send texts that get filtered through an automated system. Schnell said the department doesn’t know who sent the tip — it can be text or a picture — and the system allows the department to communicate back to the tipster.

The day the post was made about the new feature, Schnell said the department received a useful tip through it. Someone let police know about a dump truck that was stolen from a business on Concord Street. The truck had also pulled down wires.

The department was able to communicate back with the tipster and verify the information. The tipster, however, never had to identify themself.

Tip411 is a product of St. Paul-based Citizen Observer. Schnell said he has used the system in other communities like Hastings and Maplewood, where it helped the department identify a homicide suspect and solve the case.

Use in the schools

Schnell said ISD 199 is also launching the Tip411 program, with the aim of improving school safety at the middle and high schools.

Superintendent Dave Bernhardson said the program was brought to the school’s attention by Schnell.

“Once we had that dialogue, we felt it was a very, very good opportunity for both of us to partner to get great information and obtain information from our kids, when needed,” said Bernhardson.

He said the district hopes students use the new tool as a safe space to communicate with officials about things that are concerning them.

“There seems, I guess we’ll find out, an unlimited amount of things that they can communicate, because in the end we want to make sure everything is as safe as possible for our kids,” Bernhardson said.

Schnell said Tip411 could be a mechanism for someone to report if they know of another student bringing a weapon to school. It could also be used for other things like reporting bullying or a student worried about another student talking about suicide.

“Ultimately, what it does is help create a safer school environment by getting good information to administrators to vet and sort through, and ultimately identify solutions,” Schnell said.

Bernhardson added any information gleaned over Tip411 would need to be confirmed, so he sees it as no different than other means of communication.

Read the full story from LillieNews.com