Leominster Police Department (71 sworn officers) recently implemented the utilization of the tip411 anonymous tip tool and they are already seeing significant results.
Police Chief Aaron Kennedy said they have received numerous tips about many issues – including threats, drugs, suspicious activity and bullying – over the last several months since implementing tip411 that have helped with investigations.
“So far it’s had a greater response than Crime Stoppers did,” he said. “It has been very successful.”
He stressed that tip411 is not intended to be used for “tree limbs down or potholes in the road or an appliance on the sidewalk, that’s not what it’s for.”
“With Crime Stoppers we would get a tip maybe every six months to a year,” Kennedy said. “We have gotten 50 to 60 tips in the short time we’ve had it. And some of the tips that have come in have led to charges and arrests.”
Mayor Dean Mazzarella urged the public to utilize tip411 even if “a tip can seem unrelated but suspicious.”
“Drugs, bullies, suspicious activity…it’s really made it easy for us,” he said.
He noted that “sometimes people just aren’t comfortable leaving their name and information,” which is why the anonymity of tip411 is important.
He also called tip411 “a vital tool” and said that police personnel will determine if it’s an emergency and they need to get involved right away or if it is something that may help with an investigation or lead to one.
Mazzarella brought up the Vanessa Marcotte investigation and noted that local and state police received “thousands of tips” and “did a phenomenal job” sorting through them, tips that eventually led to an arrest.
“We really encourage people to use [tip411] and we cannot emphasize it enough that it is 100% anonymous,” he said, adding that “the more information people can provide, a license plate number, apartment number, photos and video,” the better police are able to utilize the tips provided.
Leominster Public Schools Safety and Security Specialist Rick Bergeron said they are “excited” to have the tip program in place that is “bridging the gap” between schools and public safety and encourages students to use it.
The public can submit anonymous tips to the Leominster PD by texting “LPDMATIP” and the tip information to 847411. The public can also use the LPDMATIP Tip mobile app, powered by tip411, to view community alerts and submit anonymous tips. The LPDMATIP Tip app can be downloaded for free at the iTunes and Google Play App Store.
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