If you’re in Boston and witness a crime, now you’ll be able to anonymously text in your tip to the police. The City of Boston Police Department had introduced the Text A Tip Program as a way to fight the rise in Beantown’s violent crimes. People who want to help the police, users simply have to text the word ‘TIP’ to 27463 (which, handily, spells the word ‘crime’ on the keypad). The user’s ID is blocked, but the police will text back, initiating a text dialog about the crime. However, they claim that they will not ask for any personal information on the sender, but that, if the information leads to arrest and conviction in a crime, the sender is eligible for a $1,000 reward. But there’s no mention as to how an anonymous sender might be able to claim it, especially as, on their site, Boston Police advise people to delete their text messages. Boston has employed a traditional voice tip line for more than a decade. “With the increased awareness of the tip line and the added option of sending a tip by text message, we hope that those who have always wanted to do the right thing, but have not spoken up for fear of reprisal, will help us,” said Boston Police Commission Ed Davis. “We need information. We need help.” There have been 27 homicides so far this year in Boston. Last week the brother of a murder victim was beaten by gang members who told him to “stop talking to the cops.”
