Crimestoppers adds texting tips
8:54 p.m. Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday, technology took a big step in Topeka to help fight crime.
Crimestoppers has installed a program that makes it possible to anonymously text in tips.
Who thinks it's a good idea and who doesn't?
The concept is simple. Open the phone, type tip 128 plus your message and send it to CRIMES or 274637.
Teresa Gibson thinks it's a good idea.
"The kids all know how to do it and maybe it'd get to them quicker than a phone call," she said.
Stephen Lane agrees.
"I think it's fine, anything to get the crime off the street," Lane said.
Terry Symonds, a detective with Crimestoppers, says the program allows the operator and tipster to communicate back and forth completely anonymously by assigning a code.
"The younger generation tend to communicate much more in a text message type setting than they do over the telephone," Symonds said.
But not everyone we ran into says they think the texting is a good idea.
Kistal Morgan thinks kids will use it for fun.
" When I used to watch kids they'd call 911 over and over. "
Still, according to Symonds the crime fighting texting is cutting edge for Kansas and has worked in other cities like Boston.
"We felt it was time for us to get on board and move with it," Symonds said.
So why wasn't this done sooner?
While text messaging has been around for several years, the technology to keep the messages anonymous wasn't. And Topeka is the first city in Kansas to use the software.
The official press release
The Board of Directors for Crime Stoppers of Topeka and Shawnee County is offering tipsters yet another way to pass along information confidentially to the Crime Stoppers program.
Effective immediately, people with information that would help make an arrest in a felony crime, can use their cell phones to send a text tip to “CRIMES” or the number 274637. Once they enter that number, tipsters will type TIP128 at the beginning of the message so that the information goes to the Topeka Crime Stoppers program. Once the tip is entered, a response appears acknowledging the message and assigning a unique ID. Go to www.smscrimetips.com for a demonstration.
Crime Stoppers Coordinator, Det. Terry Symonds says the text messaging option maintains confidentiality by scrambling the source of the message through software offered by “Tip Soft”, a leading computer information gathering program.
“It’s the same software that is used for taking anonymous information from the www.topekacrimestoppers.com web site,” Symonds said.
It is hoped the text messaging option will provide an avenue for more people--especially young people-- who are more familiar with text messaging to be able provide information about criminal activity and collect cash rewards of up to $2,000. Crime Stoppers will be placing posters in schools, business and other public places to publicize the new text message option.
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