In response to the public's demand for secure and anonymous ways to submit crime tips to authorities, the Los Angeles Police Department has developed two new anonymous tip reporting systems.

The LAPD is hopeful that these two new anonymous tip systems will open the flow of information between a community fearful of gangs and the police.

1. Text-A-Tip Service

This allows a tipster to provide information to the LAPD and remain completely anonymous through text or SMS messaging. SMS or Short Message Service are common text messages which can be used by virtually any cell phone user. Tipsters type the word "LAPD" plus their crime information on their cell phone or PDA to the number 2-7-4-6-3-7 which spells out the word "CRIMES". The text message is encrypted and an alias is generated for the tipster, masking their identity from the police. There is no way for the police to determine the user's identity.

To text a tip to the Los Angeles Police Department, you must have text messaging enabled on your phone and subscribe to a participating cell phone carrier. To begin your tip session, text the word "LAPD" along with your crime information to the number,
2-7-4-6-3-7, which spells the word "CRIMES" on your phone's keypad.

While handset menus differ by carrier or model, here are some basic steps on how to compose a text message .

Find "Messaging" or "SMS" on your phone's menu.

1. Create a new text message or send text or SMS text.

2. When composing your message:

Enter the number 2-7-4-6-3-7 as the mobile # or in the "to" line. In the message body, type the word LAPD, a space, and then your crime tip information (LAPD is not case sensitive).

3. Hit "Send" to send the message.

4. You will receive a response from TipSoft shortly, which will start the secure text dialogue.

For your safety, when you complete your tip submission, you should always delete all text messages to and from 2-7-4-6-3-7 from your text message in box and out box.


2. TIPSOFT WEB TIPS

Users go to www.lapdonline.org and follow the link for "Anonymous Web Tips" where they can fill in a form and submit it via the internet. The tip goes through a secure server where, again the identity of the sender is masked from the authorities receiving the Web tip.

The Two-Way Dialogue features allow the tipster to return at their convenience and securely provide additional information to their original tip and investigators can securely ask questions or provide instructions back to the tipster as well.

Submitting a crime tip through the web is as easy as going to the www.lapdonline.org website and clicking on the ANONYMOUS WEB TIP link. Tipsters will fill out the web tip form. Once completed, they can elect to create a password and click on the Submit Tip button. A tip code is created after a tip is submitted. Tipsters can check the status of their tip at a later date by logging in with their code and password.

No mobile phone information is collected by the Los Angeles Police Department as part of this program. Your Text-A-Tip and Web-Tips are completely anonymous to the LAPD and is only identifiable by the code provided to you. Any information submitted is directed to the LAPD's Regional Crime Center detectives, who will disseminate the information to the appropriate LAPD investigative unit.