SMS Crime Fighting

Now the ability to fight crime using mobile text messaging technology is available. SJA Mobile has in coordination with the FBI enabled users of text messaging to send tips to the FBI. Though it is currently in use in the Washington, D.C. area, the technology is available on all the major wireless providers, and it can be made available to anyone using text messaging. In the D.C. area a short code is used, 50411, to send the crime tip to the FBI.

So, if you have used SMS messaging, then you will be able to use this medium too. I think it is a great idea. It will help us to fight crime in our cities. It is a technology that has long been neglected for its ability to be used in fighting crime.

I have often wondered how I could help to fight and prevent crime in a better way. There have been times when I could have alerted the police or FBI to a crime; but I did not have access to any communications so that I could have contacted them. Now this technology will enable everyone to have real time data about a crime that is actually about to happen or is in progress. Follow the above link to find out more.


Press Release:

SJA Mobile & FBI Launch SMS Tipline
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SJA Mobile today jointly announced with the FBI’s Washington D.C Field Office and Metropolitan Police an initiative which will enable D.C-area citizens to anonymously report crime tips via a novel new medium – SMS. SMS, or “text messaging,” has up until now never been used before as a medium for crime tips.
Citizens in the D.C area can report a crime or homeland security tip by sending a text message with the tip to the number 50411. The 5-digit number to text to is called a “Short Code.” Currently the service is available on all major wireless carriers, along with several Tier 2 carriers.
SJA Mobile is in talks expand the service to several other major cities.