Submit A Crime Tip
Due to the enormous popularity of Web and Mobile based apps the Fort Myers Police Department is now utilizing state of the art technology to receive crime tips. Citizens of Fort Myers now have several options to securely submit crime tips to their local Police Department. 1-800-780-TIPS or visit SWFLCrimeStoppers.org.
Text Message Crime Tips
TipSoft SMS, short message service, is 100% anonymous. No one will know the identity of the text tipster. The technology routes messages through a server that encrypts cell phone numbers before they get to police. The technology also allows investigators to securely reply back to the cell phone without compromising the tipster’s identity.
Some of the advantages of text messaging includes being able to communicate in real time with texters. It also allows people to notify police when calling may not be feasible or safe. Texting a tip is easy. All you have to do is :
Just like callers to crime hotlines, text tipsters can be eligible to collect rewards for significant information. It’s done with the cooperation of banks that hand over cash, no questions asked, to people who present a code issued by police. The technology makes giving police the 411 2EZ.
Online Crime Tips
In addition to text messaging the department is also offering WebTips with the same two-way dialogue capabilities. You can click on the link on our website at www.fmpolice.com/tips. Chief Doug Baker hopes to recruit teens and young adults who wouldn’t normally pickup the phone to call police. “It’s their personal safety channel to alert someone of a possible danger. For example if they see a weapon, or a posting on MySpace or Facebook that could indicate danger or have knowledge of a drug deal.”
iPhone App Crime Tips
Citizens in Fort Myers can now use their iPhones® and Android™ based smart phones to send anonymous crime tips to the Fort Myers Police Department. For the first time, iPhone® and Android™ phone users can provide anonymous crime fighting tips, including smart phone photographs and video, to the Fort Myers Police Department. The service, called TipSoft, allows citizens to send anonymous tips online using a custom "App" from a mobile phone.
The widespread use of smart phones makes it easy for the public to help law enforcement agencies fight crime. And with the TipSoft apps, they can know that it’s safe for them to do the right thing without ever disclosing their identity.
TipSoft allows agencies and members of the public to have a two-way dialog that is completely secure and anonymous. The service specifically allows smart phone users to remain anonymous by encrypting the messages, assigning them a unique alias and ID, and routing them through secure servers, protecting the personal details of the information provider.
Android App Crime Tips