Rockland DA, Police Departments Launch Social Media Tip Line

NEW CITY, NY — Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe, joined by several local police chiefs, launched a new text and social media-based tip line Tuesday. It will allow anyone with a smartphone, tablet, standard cell phone or computer to anonymously text a tip to their local police department.

The RocklandCo DA app - tip411 - is available for download for free via the Google Play Store, iTunes App
Store, or by visiting the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office website.

The system will enable the public to send anonymous tips about crime, drugs, bullying and suspicious activity to their local police department with officers able to respond back, creating a two way-anonymous "chat."

There are three ways to do it:
1. Send Anonymous Text Tips
Send a text message to 847411 (tip411), then type the keyword ROCKLANDCODA, add a space, type your tip info and hit send.
2. Submit Anonymous Tips Using FREE Smartphone App
Download free RocklandCo DA app for iPhone and Android to submit anonymous tips from a smartphone or tablet.
3. Use Anonymous Web Tip Form on Your Computer
Visit the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office website.

"tip411 allows residents to not only submit tips, but access agency alerts, our social media channels, important information and more to help fight crime from the palm of their hand with our new RocklandCo DA app." Zugibe said in an announcement about the new system. "The system will be particularly useful for our most vulnerable residents, who may be reluctant to contact law enforcement."

What tip411 does:

• Protects the anonymity of the sender by assigning a six-digit code with numbers and letters.
• The technology removes all identifying information before the police department sees it so there's no way to identify the sender.
• Messages can be responded to in real time creating an instant two-way live “chat.”
• It allows you to text photos and/or video.
• Since police are familiar with the local area, they know the best questions to ask.
• It allows the public to text information about drug activity, other suspicious or criminal activity or people with outstanding warrants and cold cases.
• If it's an active case, the tip is treated as one piece of information and detectives verify the validity of the tip.
• Tips are stored on redundant servers in different locations nationwide that are managed by the vendor.

What tip411 doesn't do:

It doesn't track the identity of the tipster.
It is not a substitute for calling 911. If you need police or other emergency responders, you must call 911.
• It does not retain data after the tipster completes the "chat".

The software was developed by CitizenObserver, a St. Paul, Minnesota tech firm that provides Web-based alerting tools to local, state and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies in over 40 states. In Westchester County, 37 of 42 police agencies are successfully using the web tip program. The Yonkers Police Department launched tip411 in 2011.

“Giving the public the ability to anonymously communicate with police will allow people to provide key information without fear of reprisal,” said Zugibe said. “tip411 will also help to alleviate a lack of witness cooperation, which has hampered the investigative process in many criminal cases.

”Rockland County law enforcement will continue to do our job by investigating crime, but it's up to our residents to respond and to build the type of community they want to live in.”

Funding for the program comes through asset forfeiture funds.

Image via Rockland County tip411