Crime Stoppers texting tips

By Octavia Mitchell
Anchor / Reporter
Published: August 15, 2008

Next week, students across the Lowcountry will head back to school.  That’s why Crime Stoppers is reinforcing a plan to keep guns out of school with the help of cell phones.

Crime Stoppers is re-launching it’s initiative which would allow students to send anonymous tips via text messaging.  It’s called, “Your Friends, Your School, Your Call.” Anyone with information regarding a crime or weapon on campus can text that information to Crime Stoppers anonymously by sending a text to 274-637.  If that tip leads to the recovery of a gun on school property, you could receive a 500-dollars reward.  Frank Morea, public information officer for Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry says, “Guns, violence, threats, theft, schools should be safe havens.  One of Crime Stoppers greatest abilities is the one that we protect the source.  These kids know what’s going on inside their schools.  We figured if we can make sure they can find a way to pass us that information, they never have to get involved. There’s no fear of retribution.  No one will never find out who they are and they can receive a cash reward, and get the drugs and the violence out of these schools right now.”

Here’s how it works, you send the text message to CRIMES or 274637, in the body of the text message type “Tip 213” along with your tip information.  If authorities actually find a gun on school property, you could receive up to 500 dollars in cash. Morea says, “What’s actually going to happen with that text message and the way it becomes anonymous, the information is passed to a server in Canada.  The server in Canada will strip down any of the information of the sender and forward it to Texas.  They send it to us and the entire process takes about 3 to 5 seconds.”

News 2 asked students preparing to head back to school what they thought about the initiative.  Thirteen-year-old Ty Wilder says, “I think it’s a good idea because that’s what most of the kids do now.  They don’t talk a lot, they just text.” Fourteen-year-old Kayla Warren says, “I like that a lot.  A lot of kids are nervous to actually talk on the phone, and then a lot of teenagers they’re more comfortable texting any how.  I think that will work and help them to open up some.”

Once you send the text message you’ll receive a confirmation code, and if a gun is found you will receive a cash reward connected with that code.
The Crime Stoppers text initiative was initially launched in March.  So far, officials have recovered six weapons and processed about twenty tips from text messages.

For more information, call 843-554-5022 or log on to http://www.5541111.com.