Nothing is worse than having your agency receive tips that aren’t being monitored and responded to in a timely manner. Make sure your staff is adequately trained and that tips are going to personnel who will be responsible for logging in, checking on tips, and starting a 2-way conversation with the tipster.
“At first, the Crime Analysis Unit and I were the main administrators of the program. When tips came in we would farm them out to patrol, narcotics, etc. As the popularity of the system grew, we realized there was a need for 24/7 coverage because we wanted to make sure people weren’t texting us tips and then waiting for a response to come during normal business hours.” – Major David Dalton, Clearwater, Florida Police