10/5/11 Sheriff launches TIP 411

  • By Nick Sabo
  • October 5, 2011
  • 299
                        
SUMMARY: Anonymous tip system simple as sending a text Imagine this scenario: A student learns that one of their classmates has brought a gun to school. Afraid of risking retaliation, the student decides not to come forward. An act of violence ensues. Or, the student has an outlet where they can anonymously send a text message to law enforcement, and the scenario has a very different outcome. The Holmes County Sheriff’s office has set up an anonymous tip line that is as simple as sending a text. The tip line, a product of internet company Citizen Observer’s TIP 411, covers the entire Holmes County area. The service has been obtained free through Citizen Observer and Holmes County Sheriff’s reserve deputy and police trainer Phil Chalmers. Chalmers, a Berlin resident, is a leading authority on juvenile homicide and is the author of “Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer” and “The Encyclopedia of Teen Killers”. The tip line works by texting a message to 847411. The text is forwarded by TIP 411 to the phones of local law enforcement officers, who also receive an e-mail notification. The text takes less than a minute to arrive in the hands of deputies. If necessary, TIP 411 allows for a continued chat, also anonymous, as a situation develops. The tip line is to report drug activity, physical and sexual abuse, and threats of violence or suicide. More routine matters should be reported to the sheriff’s office main phone line, 330-674-1936. A typical text would contain the nature of the crime, an address and other necessary identifiers. A test of TIP 411 demonstrated for The Bargain Hunter took 36 seconds for Chalmers to receive. While the tip line is open for use by anyone with a cell phone, Chalmers said it is of particular importance to the county’s younger generation. “It works the same way as voting for American Idol, except ours is anonymous,” Chalmers said. “Anonymous tip lines are one of our best tools to keep our kids safe at school. In 80 percent of school shootings, the shooter has told someone of their intentions 12 to 24 hours before the incident.” Sheriff Tim Zimmerly said the TIP 411 system will get information a consistently faster over the county’s current tip line. The current tip line is recorder-based and is checked when deputies have the time. TIP 411 goes straight to deputies’ cell phones. A further advantage is the prevalence of texting as a method to communicate. It’s something most young people are very familiar with, Zimmerly said. “This capability is a new system for creating safer communities, especially in reaching out to a younger age demographic,” Zimmerly said. “When someone feels afraid to come forward, or simply feels like they don’t want to get involved, this can be a great way to pass information on without fear or retribution.” The sheriff’s office will be promoting the new system at public events and will distribute cards carrying Holmes County’s TIP 411 number.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load