tip411 app program download Rockland County

Rockland District Attorney’s Office tips411 app: What are tipsters reporting?

The Rockland County District Attorney’s tip411 app has been downloaded hundreds of times in its first six months and has generated dozens of tips from all corners of the county, some leading to arrests.

The app lets smartphone users send anonymous tips about suspected crime, drugs, vehicle and traffic concerns, suspicious activity and other quality of life issues to their local police department with officers able to respond, creating a two-way chat.

The app’s settings allow users to receive alerts about reported crime on a countywide basis or in just their own towns. Users can also submit posts, photos and video from social media.

VIDEO: Rockland DA announces new tip411 app for anonymous tipsters

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One tip led to a shared investigation between the county Narcotics Task Force and Ramapo police that resulted in a pair of arrests for cocaine, marijuana and a stun gun.

Three arrests for outstanding warrants also came as a result of tips through the app, said Capt. Brendan Donohue of the District Attorney’s Office Detective Bureau, who oversees the program.

“It’s a great way people can report on things without having their name exposed and they can help fight crime,” Donohue said. “They’re really partners with the police, that’s the whole idea,”

Dohohue said the majority of the tips have been for suspected crimes like drug deals on the streets or complaints like speeding or stop signs being ignored in specific neighborhoods.

“We can use our resources to put cars in those areas,” he said.

District Attorney Tom Zugibe said the app takes the fear out of reporting suspected crime because law enforcement cannot trace the users’ identity.

Read the full story from Rockland/Westchester Journal News

Police Social Media

Drawbacks to Social Media Data Mining for Police

Many agencies have begun using, or are considering purchasing, social media monitoring tools to mine Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms for crime-related information.

Recently, however, Twitter announced that it was pulling data access for police surveillance tools, and other companies are expected to follow suit.

Our products, specifically the tip411 two way anonymous tip chat solution, can provide a way to gather direct intelligence from citizens (without companies like Twitter and Facebook) determining what data is available to you.

Social media monitoring tools are an excellent resource for investigations and intelligence gathering, but may be increasingly limited over time.

We recently heard from a large department in California who reached out and thanked us for letting them know about this as they were very close to purchasing one of these expensive monitoring tools because they thought they needed it.

We would appreciate the opportunity to share how introducing tip411 into your community can help create direct engagement, without the use of such expensive and limited tools.

There are currently law enforcement agencies in more than 40 states and 1,4000 communities using tip411, and we hope you’ll contact us to request more information or to schedule a brief demo.