Tech Shout!

One of the biggest reasons why many a times home breakers, murderers and thieves are left untouched is that the witnesses are terrified to come ahead and point their finger towards criminal. Obviously because the witness is scared of his own safety and wouldn’t want to be the next one to fall prey to the criminal gruesome act. But now there may be a safer way for you to go ahead, be bold but yet be safe.

In order to curb the ever increasing rate of murder and various other violent crimes, the Boston police have developed a system through which witnesses of a particular crime incident will able to alert the officers about the event by sending text messages.

Dubbed ‘Text a Tip Program,’ the service is a pioneering initiative in the U.S. Whilst introducing the service, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis stated that this service is apparently the first in the nation to merge mobile phone text messaging with an anonymous police tip line/

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said, “The city’s anonymous tip line is safe, secure and effective – but far too underutilized.” Menino added, “Today, we’re launching a major effort to revitalize this valuable tool with new energy, new purpose, new technology, and new advertising.”

Davis was anticipating that this innovative method would possibly be successful in cracking and nabbing street culture where gangs often punish people who “snitch,” making it difficult for police to solve crimes at a time when the murder rate is on a rise.

Davis maintained, “It’s something that is more anonymous than a telephone call where you have to have a conversation with someone.” According to him the age-old tip line where witnesses buzz the officers via a toll-free telephone was becoming outdated.

Like many U.S. cities, Boston is struggling to stem a wave of violent crime. The city’s 27 homicides this year are nearly on pace with last year’s tally. Many go unsolved because witnesses are afraid to come forward.

So if you saw a murder or a theft or an untoward incident in your neighborhood, all you need to do (first and foremost don’t panic) type the word “tip” into their phones and send the message to police. The sender’s identification is blocked, Davis noted. After the police receive the message, they will then “text” a message back asking for details.

The program relies heavily on technology from VeriSign, a California company.

Undoubtedly, in an age when people text more messages than spoken words, such a convenient way of catching criminals surely seems to be a ray of hope.