Police harness power of text to fight crime
By: Tamara Barak Aparton
Examiner Staff Writer
August 19, 2009
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| Police Chief George Gascón is unveiling Text-a-Tip, an Internet-based tool that enables people to text-message anonymous information to police. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) |
San Francisco police are preparing to reveal their latest weapons in the fight against crime: citizens’ thumbs.
Wednesday, police Chief George Gascón will unveil Text-a-Tip, an Internet-based tool that enables people to text-message anonymous information to police. It also lets police respond in real time and conduct an anonymous, two-way conversation with anyone texting the service. The public safety system is powered by St. Paul, Minn.-based company CitizenObserver.
“This is another means for the community to report criminal activity,” Lt. James Miller told police commissioners at their Aug. 5 meeting.
The service will be particularly helpful for Muni passengers who may want to report a crime in progress without calling attention to themselves, Miller said.
The Police Department already has an anonymous tip line in place. Callers can also call or text CrimeStoppers, a nonprofit organization that funnels information back to investigators.
Interacting with the public through texting is already in place via The City’s 311 information service.
Gascón’s former Mesa, Ariz., Police Department uses the CitizenObserver system, as do police in Napa and Salinas.
Napa police Cmdr. Andy Lewis said the service was launched in his city several weeks ago and has already led to a handful of tips.
The service cost less than $5,000, which contributed to its appeal, Lewis said. Napa officials discourage citizens from using the service instead of calling 911, but Text-a-Tip has proven effective in obtaining information on gang activities and assaults, he said. CitizenObserver President Terry Halsch said the Internet-based service is currently being used by law enforcement agencies in 40 states and has been used to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars.
tbarak@sfexaminer.com
