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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KCBS) – For kids, texting has become second nature. That’s why officials at Bay Area Crime Stoppers are hoping that anonymous texting will prompt more people to provide tips to police.
”We’re very confident that, between the phone number and the text tip option, that this will be effective because it’s been effective in other cities and other regions of the United States,” explained a Crime Stoppers spokesman. He said that the program has worked in areas like Boston and Cincinnati.
If somebody does have a tip to text, he or she simply texts the word “crime” and on the message line, write “tip584.” That is the code for reporting a crime in the Bay Area.
A computer more or less “scrambles” the phone line, making the identity of the caller untraceable. The tips, however, are routed to the appropriate agency for follow-up.
This new program comes as many Bay Area cities ramp up their summer antiviolence programs. On Thursday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom unveils the city’s “Stay Safe Summer Plan” at the Omega Boys Club.
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KCBS' Holly Quan reports
