Crime tip line
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New crime tip line launched in Bennington County

A new tool will help put the power to fight crime in the palm of Bennington County residents’ hands.

An anonymous tip reporting program, powered by a free smartphone app, has been launched through the Bennington County Sheriff Department and The Collaborative. The app will help residents submit anonymous tips to law enforcement agencies, as well as receive alerts with their smartphone, according to Detective Sgt. Lloyd Dean.

Details of the new initiative were discussed at a press conference at the sheriff’s headquarters Monday morning. The free smartphone app is available for Android and iPhone mobile devices.

Dean said among the crimes the department and Collaborative are encouraging people to send tips for include burglaries, illegal drug activity, a party where underage youth are consuming alcohol, and bullying.

The initiative is one piece of a grant-funded partnership program to combat substance abuse, said Victoria Silsby with The Collaborative’s substance prevention program. The Collaborative is the lead organization for the five-year federally funded partnership program; funding is funneled from the state Department of Health.

“We think this county-wide approach sends a clear message that Bennington County is committed to reducing substance use and engages in substance use prevention initiatives,” she said.

Minnesota-based CitizenObserver created the tip411 tool, according to the company’s website. Law enforcement, schools, call centers and emergency management in over 1,000 communities use the company’s tools.

The app users should download here is called “BenningtonCo Sheriff” in the Android and iPhone app stores; it comes up with a search of “tip411 Bennington.” Once downloaded, a user can send a completely anonymous tip to an account that’s monitored through the sheriff’s department.

Read the full story from the Bennington Banner

St. Petersburg Police Department
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Tips from the Public Help St. Pete Police Identify Suspect

Tips from the public have led police to identify the woman they say followed and beat up a 69-year-old woman at her home as 34-year-old Leslie Broadfoot.

Police say that surveillance video inside a Marathon gas station on 10th Avenue N shows Broadfoot shortly before the beat-down. It was Sept. 9 and people were rushing around Tampa Bay to get last-minute supplies and fill their tanks before Hurricane Irma.

Police said Broadfoot asked the 69-year-old to buy her fuel in exchange for helping unload her car with hurricane supplies from Lowes.

Broadfoot and another person followed the woman to her home.

Then instead of offering the promised help, police say Broadfoot hit the other woman repeatedly and stole her purse.

Surveillance video from the 69-year-old woman’s house shows a white Jeep or SUV leaving the property after the robbery.

Broadfoot has a lengthy criminal history including drug and theft convictions, court records show.

Police are asking for help finding Broadfoot. People with any information can call 727-893-7780 or text the keyword “SPPD” and an anonymous tip to 847-411 (Tip-411.)

See the full report & video from the Tampa Bay Times.

Blaine PD app
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Alert Helps Blaine Police Identify Person of Interest

Blaine, Minnesota Police sent an alert out via their tip411 system to residents asking for help identifying a person of interest in a prescription medication forgery case.

After receiving multiple tips, Blaine Police were able to identify the person of interest with the help of residents who submitted information anonymously to the department.

Police sent a follow up alert to residents thanking them for tips and letting them know they helped in the identification.

Click here to see the alert.

Coatesville Police tip411
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Police make arrest in hate graffiti with help from tip411

City police say they’ve arrested a city man in connection with a series of Neo-Nazi inspired hate graffiti incidents in the city and in neighboring Valley.

George F. Rissell, 24, was taken into custody after police received an anonymous tip via a smart phone app, combined with images from various surveillance cameras near where the incidents took place. With that information, police were able to zero in on the suspect’s vehicle and his identity.

The accused was arrested and charged with multiple counts of ethnic intimidation and criminal mischief, and arraigned before Magistrate Gill at 2140 hours. The accused was remanded to Chester County Prison in lieu of $150,000.00 cash bail.

Police said that Rissell has claimed past association with with supremacy and hate groups.

Various locations — including a car — were vandalized with hate messages and various White Supremacist/Neo-Nazi codes late Tuesday night, bringing widespread condemnation.

Read the full story in The Times of Chester County.

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New app encourages people to anonymously report crime

For Hamden Police, it is another step in helping to bridge the gap between police officers and the communities they protect. A new smartphone app called tip411 lets smartphone users submit crime tips anonymously.

“Often I’ll be in meetings and hear people say like I did yesterday, well, I didn’t want to bother the police. I heard from somebody else well, I want to be anonymous and I didn’t want to get involved so to speak,” said Hamden Chief of Police Thomas Wydra.

 Wydra said the goal of the department is to connect with everyone in the town but realizes certain groups of people are hesitant to engage. Officers believe the app will encourage people to alert them of suspicious activity.

“We wanna reach people who ordinarily might not be willing to engage with us for a variety of reasons. That includes kids, people whose immigration status may be in jeopardy or some other process they don’t want to engage the local police. This is another way for them to reach us,” said Wydra.

Read the full story and see the video from News 8 – WTNH.