Jackson Police Fight Crime Via Text Message
JACKSON, Tenn.–Jackson police are taking new steps to prevent crime in your neighborhood. Officers hope a new texting tool will appeal to younger people who see crime. Officers now take Crime Stoppers tips via text message. “We’re hoping it’ll just increase the tips that we get either from students or just people that’s going down the street and they see something happen they can open up a dialog then,” Lt. Mike Johnson said, with the Jackson Police Department. Johnson oversees the Crime Stoppers program for Jackson-Madison County. “It helps the investigators a lot and it gives them a way to go when they don’t have any evidence at all,” Johnson said. Text your Crime Stoppers tips to 274637. Type in TIPS 911 then send your message. “We never know who you are,” Johnson said. “It goes through an encrypted program, but you can keep a conversation going with us until you type in the text STOP.” Police also use door hangers to fight crime. Officers target neighborhoods with specific crimes then go door-to-door. “If you see us doing a canvas, something’s going on in the neighborhood that you need to know about,” Capt. Mike Holt said, with the Jackson Police Department. Police cater the information they put on the door hangers based on crime in the area. “We get information out to people about what we’re looking for,” said Holt. “A lot of times that pays off.” Jackson police hope the door hangers and texting technology increase the number of tips and arrests. If you text a tip to Crime Stoppers the operator will send you back a code. Remember the code. That is how officers will pay you if they make an arrest.
