Need to report suspected illegal activity related to fish, wildlife or boating to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources?
Now, there’s an app for that.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has partnered with tip411 to offer the public a way to submit anonymous tips using the new KFWLaw smartphone app or by text message and the web. Similar technology has helped reduce crime in communities nationwide.
“Through these new channels, the public can report crimes or suspicious activity anonymously and in real-time directly to Kentucky’s conservation officers,” said Col. Eric Gibson, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Law Enforcement Division director. “It’s crime fighting the 21st Century way.”
The free KFWLaw app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store. Links to the stores also are posted on the department’s website.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted from non-smartphones with texting capability. Text the keyword “KFWLAW” along with your message or tip to 847411 (tip411).
Whether using the app or texting tips via a non-smartphone, the technology removes all identifying information before officers see the tips. There is no way to identify the sender.
These new features supplement the department’s longtime tip line, 1-800-25-ALERT. In an emergency, or when there is an urgent need for law enforcement, calling 9-1-1 remains the best course of action.
Kentucky’s conservation officers are sworn law enforcement officers with statewide jurisdiction but a primary mission focus on hunting, fishing and boating enforcement.
In their everyday role, conservation officers ensure compliance with hunting and fishing laws and ensure that the state’s waterways are a safe place for all to enjoy by utilizing a two-pronged approach consisting of education and enforcement.