Ramsey anonymous texting tip service
admin In The News

Ramsey police introduce anonymous texting tip service

The borough police department has launched an anonymous texting line for people to report crimes, authorities announced Wednesday.

People will now be able to text 847411 (tip411) and send anonymous tips about crime or suspicious activity, authorities said.

More than 1,200 communities in the United States use tip411, which allows police officers to receive real-time information, Ramsey police said.

“We believe the public is our greatest law enforcement resource,” Chief Brian Gurney said. “Tip411 allows a safe and secure way for community members to share important information with police without the fear of retribution.”

The service also “removes all identifying information before police see it and there is no way to identify the sender,” authorities said.

Gurney said that the service could also be used for people to report possible overdoses.

“Due to the opiate overdose epidemic, we are hoping that the Tip411 system will offer an alternative for people who may know of others that may need help with their opioid addiction,” he said. “We are also offering an alternative for young people, who do not want to formally contact police with regard to their friends that may be experiencing drug addiction and other issues.”

Gurney said anyone with questions can get more information by calling 201-327-2400.

Read the full story from NorthJersey.com

Crime prevention community commitment
admin In The News

Spring Crime Prevention Tips from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

The following is a community alert the Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff’s Office sent to their residents using tip411 to share crime prevention tips for Spring:

“Just some friendly reminders since we just hopped into Spring. The weather is beautiful outside and there will be some spring cleaning going on inside homes as well as yard work outside in preparation for the upcoming warmer months.

  • Ensure doors and windows are locked at your home. This includes even if you are only leaving for a short period of time.
  • Ensure all of your gardening tools are secured in your garage or storage shed with adequate locking mechanisms. Don’t leave your garage open when you are working outside in the backyard out of sight of your garage. Criminals look for opportunities such as open garages.
  • Do not leave your garage door open to vent the heat out, even if it is just a few inches. Criminals can and will slide underneath. They may even use a child to slide underneath and open the door for them.
  • Always secure bicycles out of sight and in a secure location.
  • Ensure that you have a secure door between you and possible solicitors. Always keep your screen door locked and if you do answer the door, then you have a secondary barrier between. Criminals take opportunities with unsecured screen doors and make their way inside.”

View the alert to see their full list of tips.

Get administrators trained
admin Admin Resources

Get Administrators Trained!

Nothing is worse than having your agency receive tips that aren’t being monitored and responded to in a timely manner. Make sure your staff is adequately trained and that tips are going to personnel who will be responsible for logging in, checking on tips, and starting a 2-way conversation with the tipster.

“At first, the Crime Analysis Unit and I were the main administrators of the program. When tips came in we would farm them out to patrol, narcotics, etc. As the popularity of the system grew, we realized there was a need for 24/7 coverage because we wanted to make sure people weren’t texting us tips and then waiting for a response to come during normal business hours.” – Major David Dalton, Clearwater, Florida Police

Atlantic City Cruiser
admin Agency Spotlight

Atlantic City Uses Alerts to Share Event Info & Safety Tips

tip411 Bundle and Pro customers can send community alerts to residents who subscribe to receive information via email and/or text message.

The Atlantic City, NJ Police Department takes advantage of their alerting capability to send updates about crimes in their community and solicit tips, but they know it can also be useful to share event information and safety reminders.  Take this alert about the city’s upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade as an example:

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You can view their alert online here.