Barrera announces new ‘tip411’ smartphone app for anonymous messages to sheriff’s office
The Highland County Sheriff’s Office now allows the public to share important public safety information anonymously with law enforcement by sending them a secure text message about crimes or suspicious activity in Highland County via a free smartphone app.
The Highland County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that it is launching “tip411,” an internet-based tool from Citizen Observer that enables the public to text message an anonymous tip to law enforcement and lets the officers respond back, creating an anonymous two-way conversation. The app can be downloaded for free via the Google Play store and iTunes App Store. Enter Highland County Sheriff in the search bar.
In addition, anyone with a cell phone may send an anonymous tip to the Highland County Sheriff’s office by texting HCSHERIFF and their message/tip to 847411 (tip411). Anonymous web tips can be submitted right from the sheriff’s office website at www.highlandcoso.com.
The Text Tips App and tip411 anonymous text-a-tip system are 100 percent anonymous, as the technology removes all identifying information before law enforcement officers see the tips and there is no way to identify the sender.
“We believe the public is our greatest law enforcement resource,” said sheriff Donnie Barrera, adding that “tip411 allows a safe and secure way for community members to share important information with law enforcement without the fear of retribution.”
Chief Anthony Holloway Calls tip411 “essential to modern policing”
Chief Anthony Holloway of the St. Petersburg, Florida Police Department is someone who has been a great partner with tip411, using the system as the head of three different departments.
Read below the letter below that Chief Holloway shared with his colleagues in the law enforcement community about his thoughts on the need for tip411 and how it is essential to modern policing:
“Dear Colleagues,
As law enforcement leaders, we continue to look for ways to reach out, share information, and encourage our citizens to help us with our efforts to reduce crime and create safer communities.
I believe the tip411 system is essential to modern policing. I’ve used this system during my time as chief in Somerville, Massachusetts, Clearwater, Florida, and now in St. Petersburg, and I truly believe this tool empowers officers and the community to engage and communicate in ways that were not possible before.
With that in mind, I’d like to introduce you to Terry Halsch, President of tip411. I invite you to connect with him to learn more about how their anonymous text a tip service, community alerts sent directly to residents via email and text message, social media integration, and new, innovative, tip411 Mobile app for iPhone and Android can be deployed by your department.
Visit tip411.com to learn more about the solutions they offer and read about how departments large and small across the United States are utilizing the system to gather intelligence from residents, close cases, and reduce crime.
Sincerely,
Anthony Holloway
Chief of Police
Smartphone app helps fight crime in Crow Wing County
Smartphone apps have uses ranging from checking the weather to watching movies to reading about the latest breaking news, and everything in between. Now Crow Wing County residents can download an app that lets them send crime tips to the sheriff’s department and communicate with local law enforcement from anywhere while remaining anonymous.
Tip411 is a program that has been gaining popularity in the lakes area over the last eight months. After downloading the CWCS Mobile app on an iPhone or Android device, users can simply submit anonymous tips relating to any criminal or suspicious activity directly to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office.
And that’s not all.
“The cool thing with this feature is people can still remain anonymous if they wish, but we’re allowed to communicate back with them. So that’s where we can add the additional questions,” said Capt. Scott Goddard, of the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office.
The app allows the investigator receiving the tips to respond to the tipster and ask follow-up questions.
“They’ll text us in something very vague, like, ‘Vehicles coming or going late at night from a residence,'” Goddard said. “And then our follow-up questions might be, ‘Well, can you give us descriptions of the vehicle?’ or ‘What times are the vehicles coming and going?'”