Police dispatch texting to battle “Stop Snitchin” culture

Boston police hope a texting system they will announce today helps them solve or perhaps prevent crime. The new Crime Stoppers tip line, is one of the first in the country and will let Boston residents anonymously provide information about crimes that may help police make their communities safer, the police said in a statement. The system was designed by advertising agency Hill Holliday and will be powered by Verisign.  The police are trying to tap into the fact that 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% sending text messages every month. They are also hoping to capitalize on the popular way to communicate to counter an entrenched culture of not cooperating with police, Verisign said. The advertising campaign developed on a pro bono basis by Hill Holliday features a picture of a large police badge with a message engraved on the badge. “You are not right to remain silent” is the message in the signature execution followed by text that reads, “Fight crime 100% anonymously. For yourself. For your neighborhood. Text the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463) or call 1.800.494.TIPS.” 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, the police said. The city’s current Crime Stoppers 800 number has grown obsolete and needed to be updated, said Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis.  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, according to the Boston Globe. 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% of Boston’s 74 homicides were cleared through an arrest or the identification of a suspect, a rate lower than in many other big cities, according to the Boston Globe.New York and Los Angeles and a few other large cities have been 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, Boston police said.