Johnstown Police Department creates new app, anonymous crime tip line
The Johnstown Police Department is using a smartphone app that will, in part, give people a way to submit tips directly to police.
The department is the first in the area to use an app like Tip 411.
One of its many features gives people a way to anonymously send in tips about crimes in Johnstown.
"Tip 411 gives the community the opportunity to provide information to the police regarding crimes that are occurring in the community anonymously. The system lets you send a text message to the police and between leaving your phone and getting to us it is scrubbed of all information that we can never find out who sent the text,” said Johnstown Police Chief Robert Johnson.
Johnstown police hope the new, anonymous way of reporting tips to police will lead to more community engagement and help those with information to come forward.
"Generally speaking, people don't like to give information because they fear they could be retaliated against for giving that. people are good. People want to do the right thing, but the environments in which they live in often don't give the opportunity to do the right thing. So with Tip 411 we are hoping to eliminate that aspect of it and move forward and make more arrests and do more things,” said Johnson.
This app will also, soon give users the opportunity to stay informed with situations happening in their neighborhoods.
“We can set up groups. Like we are going to have groups for school resource officers, business owners. We could set up a group for the neighborhoods of West End, Moxham, Hornerstown, Kernville. So when something is going on in that area and people have the app, we can send an alert,” said Johnson.
Again, the technology removes all identifying information before police see the tips and there is no way to identify the sender.
The app is free and available on both iPhone and Android devices.
ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7y6iamqRfn7yputKtprCmXaW8rbXCnmSdnaCWv7W5xKerZpuimq61sdJmpZ6vXZa9sXnAp6ansZ2kwrR5wqugpp1dqbaxecuipZ4%3D