Boston PD announces Text-Message tip line

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Crime solvers tap into texting

Police hope to get aid from young

By Suzanne Smalley, Globe Staff | June 15, 2007

Boston police will announce a new text messaging system today for anonymous tips, hoping to capitalize on the popular way to communicate to counter an entrenched culture of not cooperating with police.

The effort, which Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis is touting as the first in the nation to wed text messaging with an anonymous tip line, is designed to take advantage of texting's privacy and its familiarity to many youths, who may be less inclined to pick up the phone and call police.

Every time he goes to a homicide scene, he notices the same thing, Davis said.

"Everyone's on their cellphone; everyone's texting," he said in an interview yesterday. "The younger people are especially texting. We're preparing for a significant increase in the amount of information we receive."

Davis said the Crime Stoppers 800 number has grown obsolete and needed to be updated. Police officials said that most calls to Crime Stoppers come in during the summer, an average of 100 to 140 calls a week. But they said many calls are repetitive or concern complaints about potholes, trash pickup, or other quality-of-life issues, with only a small number providing useful tips about unsolved violent crimes.

The commissioner said the department desperately needs detailed information about specific crimes or individuals with guns. Local police and prosecutors complain about a "Stop Snitchin' " ethos in some of the city's most violent neighborhoods, which makes it difficult to solve crimes. Last year, 38 percent of the 74 homicides were cleared through an arrest or the identification of a suspect, a rate lower than in many other big cities.

Davis said that New York and Los Angeles have begun experimenting with text messaging to 911 dispatchers, but no other department has rolled out a comprehensive program to generate crime tips through anonymous text messaging.

Wendy Balazik, a spokeswoman for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, called the technology "the logical next step" for crime fighters, but said her organization has not tracked whether other departments are using similar systems.

Representatives from several Boston radio stations are scheduled to meet with police officials this morning to discuss donating air time for radio spots produced by Boston advertising giant Hill Holliday promoting the effort. The MBTA has donated advertising space in four to five stations and about 250 buses, while local companies have donated dozens of ad spaces inside bus shelters and on streets. The program relies heavily on technology from VeriSign, a California company that partnered with the mobile marketing division of Hill Holliday.

To text police, a tipster can dial CRIME (27463) on his cellphone keypad and enter the word tip. The tipster receives an immediate return text reminding him that the tip is anonymous and advising him to call 911 if there is an emergency.

Because text messages are typically limited to 160 characters, a subsequent message is sent seconds later asking the tipster to categorize the information sent by type of crime: A for violent crime, B for drugs, C for gang activity, or D for other.

In response to a violent crime tip, for instance, the tipster is asked for the date, time, and place of the incident; the victim's name; the type of weapon used; and the motive. After receiving an answer, the system is automated to send a follow-up message asking for information on the suspect, including age, sex, any tattoos and alias, and details on any vehicle involved.

When a text tip is sent, it goes to the phone carrier, where normal text charges are applied, and then is bounced to VeriSign, which blocks the phone number and assigns the tip a six-digit code before forwarding it to Crime Stoppers. VeriSign's system is also used by companies that rely on text message sweepstakes or text alerts that take advantage of VeriSign's direct connection to major cellphone carriers. Because the system is automated, police will not need to staff Crime Stoppers around the clock. However, when officers are working they have the option to follow up with specific questions.

Davis said he wanted to let people know "we can only make the criminal justice system work with their help."

Suzanne Smalley can be reached at ssmalley@globe.com.