Hackensack police hope to engage tipsters through texts, mobile appUpdated: Tuesday, August 07, 2012, 2:24 PM
By Dan Ivers/NJ.com
HACKENSACK — The city's police department is taking advantage of current cell phone technologies in hopes of engaging potential tipsters.
The department can now receive anonymous tips via text message or mobile apps for the IPhone or Android.
The application, called TipSoft, is being utilized by departments around the county, which have received more than two million anonymous tips through the service, according to Hackensack Interim Chief Tomas J. Padilla.
The prevalence of text messaging has increased the desire to harness its power to help solve crimes, Padilla said. The TipSoft technology allows police and citizens to engage in a two-way text message conversation, all of which is encrypted and conducted over a secure server to ensure police are never able to access the tipster's identity.
"In this day and age, technology and social media is how people communicate," Padilla said. "By allowing them to use this new system, they are able to easily communicate with us and feel comfortable their identity is protected."
It will cost the department around $2,000 to use TipSoft for the first year - all of which will be paid through forfeiture funds seized from drug dealers and other criminals.
The mobile app also provides users the opportunity to receive notice about public safety notices or important events.
Police said residents are encouraged to offer tips on anything from serious and urgent crimes to nuisances such as vandalism, theft or the sale and distribution of drugs.
To download the TipSoft app, search "TipSubmit" over your cell phone provider's application store. To offer an anonymous tip through text messaging, send it to "CRIMES" (274637) with the keyword "HACKPD" from any mobile phone.
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