As more mobile users rely on text messages to communicate everyday, law enforcement professionals are trying to find ways to put the technology to good use in the fight against crime. In fact, the Boston Police Department recently announced the launch of a text message based tip line that they are saying is the first of it's kind. The new Crime Stoppers tip line, designed by Hill Holliday and powered by VeriSign, will enable Boston residents to anonymously provide information about crimes that may help police make their communities safer.
The new program allows the Boston Police Department to engage residents in a voluntary community-wide effort to reduce the number of violent crimes. Mobile users in North America currently send more than 650 million text messages each day, and according to M:Metrics, the most active texters are young adults (ages 18 - 24) with more than 70 percent sending text messages every month.
"The City of Boston is excited to introduce this new and innovative approach to the Boston Police Department's Crime Stoppers program. We are confident that the anonymity of the text function coupled with the sophisticated outreach program will inspire individuals to provide police with helpful, investigative tips," said Boston Police Commissioner, Edward Davis.
VeriSign powers the Boston Crime Stoppers text messaging platform, provisioned the C-R-I-M-E short code, and manages the system's user interface. While the technology behind it is complicated, concerned citizens can use it by simply texting the word "tip" to C-R-I-M-E (27463).
The text messages will be channeled to a police department interface, with the VeriSign system masking all personal identifiable information (e.g. mobile phone numbers) before sending any information to the police department. Through the interface, the Boston Police Department can immediately exchange messages with the tipster to obtain information about the crime and the details necessary to respond rapidly.
"The Boston Police Department has shown extraordinary vision by taking a rapidly growing communications trend and making it work for the benefit of their community," said Oliver Holle, Vice President of Mobile Applications, VeriSign. "Enabling secure communication is one of our core strengths at VeriSign. We are excited to be a part of such an innovative and relevant program, made possible by collaboration with Boston law enforcement and Hill Holliday."
For more information, check out the press release.
