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| Updated: 1/10/2012 9:50 pm |
Published: 1/10/2012 7:18 pm |
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - The North Little Rock School District is partnering with the North Little Rock Police Department to offer a new tip program to the community to report crimes.
Now students, teachers, and parents are encouraged to use their phones to text-a-tip. The program allows anyone to send an anonymous tip by texting to report any crime on campus.
The North Little Rock Police Department already has a city-wide program in place, and now this new technology can help improve school safety.
To combat three major school safety concerns like drugs, weapons and bullying, students, teachers, and staff can now report crimes faster and less conspicuously by texting.
North Little Rock Police Chief Danny Bradley says the tips don't go to the police department, but to school administrators. The school can then contact police. Shara Brazear with the North Little Rock School District says it's a great partnership and not just for kids. "It's for anyone who is aware of any type of crime on campus or potential crime."
Parents agree it could be a great tool to report crimes on campus as they happen, and hopefully prevent crimes from happening in the first place. Parents say students have their phones on them at all times, and students agree they'd be more willing to report incidents via text, especially since text-a-tip is anonymous.
Chief Bradley says the information is routed, and encrypted, and goes to school administrators, so no one can determine where the information came from. It assists police in a way teens are more comfortable communicating.
Brazear says texting is a way of life. "This is a great way for us to stay one step ahead of what's going on in our schools." It works by simply texting to the number 274637 (CRIMES) and in the subject you include “NLRSCHOOLS” and then write in your tip.
Posters about the program are already up in schools and flyers go home with students to parents this week.
