WEST LINN COMMUNITY TASK FORCE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH "TEXT-A-TIP" MESSAGING SERVICE TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY SAFETY
Posted: January 24th, 2011 6:10 PM
West Linn Citizens can Now Send Text and Web Tips through the West Linn Police Department and TipSoft from CrimeReports starting on February 1st
(WLPD + the tip + 274637)
(West Linn, OR) – (January 24, 2011) – For the first time, mobile phone users across the City of West Linn now have the ability to provide anonymous crime fighting tips through the power of anonymous text messaging and WebTips. The West Linn Police Department, in partnership with The West Linn Community Task Force and CrimeReports, the industry leader in law enforcement tip management software and web applications, have joined together to provide this service which allows citizens to send anonymous tips by sending a text message from a mobile phone or online.
"The popularity of text messaging has created a significant opportunity for the public to help law enforcement agencies fight crime," said Neil Hennelly, Sgt. West Linn Police. "The ability for any citizen who owns a mobile phone to assist in crime solving is of great importance to communities and we are excited to play such a pivotal role in the transmission of these crime fighting tips" added Hennelly.
Through contributing supporters of the West Linn Community Task Force, established in the fall of 2010 to help youth with substance use and abuse, the "Text-a-Tip" program has been generated. "Liberty Mutual Insurance was the first business to immediately step up to the plate by making a generous donation to cover the TAT program's first year and we are grateful for their leadership," said Julie Edwards, one of the task force founding members. Additional support has come in from The West Linn Chamber of Commerce who agreed to pay for half of the annual $1,200 maintenance fee. The West Linn Police Department will then be responsible for fielding the calls and responding accordingly.
"As a company that always strives to do the right thing by our customers, we applaud the West Linn Police Department and the West Linn Community Task Force for providing such an innovative program that will help preserve the safety and security of our community, ," said Steven Finnerty, Area Manager of Liberty Mutual
"There is no doubt that this program will dramatically increase crime solving capabilities and help local businesses in West Linn deal with safety issues more effectively!" said Jennifer Cook, West Linn Chamber member.
Using TipSoft from CrimeReports, information may be anonymously received and securely replied to with complete confidence. The service was built specifically to allow text messaging informants to remain anonymous by encrypting the text messages and routing them through several secure servers, protecting the personal details of the informant.
TipSoft SMS also allows police to respond by text message to the originating cell phone without ever knowing the identity of the individual who left the tip. The user's information is always given an alias and a unique ID before being sent. This secure application allows the tipster and the investigator to have two-way dialog while always keeping the user's identity completely anonymous.
West Linn Police encourages everyone to report information about any non-urgent illegal activity, such as unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, the sale and distribution of drugs or information about crimes that are being planned in the community or schools.
About CrimeReports
Partnering with over 1,600 law enforcement agencies, CrimeReports is the #1 crime map and anonymous tip network in North America. It offers the largest and most accurate resource for timely, street-level crime and sex offender information on the web. The CrimeReports network offers a family of affordable, easy-to-use software tools created to help law enforcement agencies understand crime trends, share up-to-date information with the public, and receive actionable intelligence from the community. CrimeReports services are offered by Public Engines, Inc. For more information, visit www.TipSoft.com or www.CrimeReports.com.
About Liberty Mutual
"Helping people live safer, more secure lives" since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group (is a diversified global insurer and fifth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2009 direct written premium. Liberty Mutual Group ranks 71st on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2009 revenue. The company has over 45,000 employees located in more than 900 offices throughout the world.
The eighth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (www.libertymutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance. The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 12,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.
About West Linn Community Task Force
A volunteer group of key leaders, influencers, parents and advisory students in the community of West Linn dedicated to the mission of inspiring youth, through community support and education, to stand up to the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol to create and foster strong role models with and amongst peers and adults.
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