Lincoln County Crime Stoppers is proud to announce that they have recently partnered with Anderson Software to provide a more seamless and efficient way for community members to offer information to help solve and prevent crimes. Anderson Software leads the industry with its latest secure and anonymous tip acquisition and management solution, called P3 Intel. This partnership allows Lincoln County Crime Stoppers to foster a relationship between law enforcement and the public to proactively create a safer community. Lincoln County Crime Stoppers went LIVE with P3 Intel on May 21.
Since implementing P3 Intel, Lincoln County Crime Stoppers has seen a four-fold increase in the number of tips submitted this month. Merrill Police Department Lieutenant Investigator Pat Wunsch noted that about 90 percent of the tips received in June came through the P3 app or online.
“We’re modernizing the way we communicate, especially the way younger people communicate,” Wunsch said.
Lincoln County Crime Stoppers is now be accepting tips by way of the new free P3 Tips mobile app available on the iOS and Android platforms. When users download the app, they only need to create a login and select their county from a drop down menu.
Lincoln County Crime Stoppers will continue to accept tips by phone. Still completely anonymous, tips submitted through the P3 mobile app and online have no length limitations and allow images, video and documents to be uploaded with the tip. Anderson Software’s sophisticated encryption processes obscure any and all identifying information and provide assured anonymity for tipsters.
Even without the app, there is still an easy and secure option for submitting tips from any PC or mobile browser by going to p3tips.com. Of course, tips are still welcomed through calling the hotline at 715-536-3726. Using whichever method, once a person submits a tip, they will be given a TIP ID and password. With this information they can login at p3tips.com and submit follow-up information, engage in real-time chat/two-way dialogue, be informed of the outcome of the tip, and access any pertinent reward information.
Being able to reconnect with a tipster for more information is a big advantage for law enforcement, Wunsch noted. When tipsters call Crime Stoppers via telephone, there is no way to contact them for more information.
“From a law enforcement perspective, this is P3’s biggest sell,” Wunsch said. “We would find we have additional questions to be able to use the information in the tip. P3 allows us to have a two-way dialogue with the tipster. Most, if not all, have been open to participating in a dialogue. I would expect an increase in arrests because of that, which is why Crime Stoppers even exists.”
Lincoln County Crime Stoppers feels that utilizing Anderson Software’s P3 Tips program will enhance communications with the public, thereby building a safer and more trusting community in which everyone prospers. To further show our value of tipsters’ contribution to the community, tips leading to an arrest will result in a cash reward.
Lincoln County Crime Stoppers is promoting the P3 expansion on its Facebook page. Lincoln County Crime Stoppers President Leah Nelson said the board would like to add a button to the page that would take users directly to the app. However, Facebook requires a certain number of page likes before they would be permitted to add a button. So, the public is encouraged to like the Lincoln County Crime Stoppers Facebook page to make P3 accessible through the social media platform.
The cost of P3 for Lincoln County Crime Stoppers is $1,000 a year, which will be covered through additional fundraising, Nelson said. Crime Stoppers relies on donations to cover the cost of operation and offering rewards.
Anyone with information on any crime or criminal activity may contact Lincoln County Crime Stoppers via any of these options:
•APP: P3 TIPS (Search “P3 Tips” in the Apple Store or Google Play to download the app to your mobile device.
•ONLINE: Submit a tip online at www.p3tips.com
•CALL: 715-536-3726