Over 100 cities of varying size, including Seattle, have implemented systems that allow citizens (or non-citizens) to text SMS reports of crimes into police departments. The tipsters retain anonymity because, “The Internet-based systems route messages through a server that encrypts cell phone numbers before they get to police, making tips virtually impossible to track.”
The article cites Louisville, Ky. Sgt. Brian Bernardi explaining how the system could be beneficial, “If somebody hears Johnny is going to bring a gun to school, hopefully they’ll text that in.”
Highlighting the SMS tips that led to the arrest of a murder suspect and a drug suspect, as well as information on lesser crimes such as illegal dumping and vandalism, the article paints a very positive picture of the system.
However, the article fails to address some practical and conceptual issues presented by this new method. For example, songs such as N.W.A.’s F$%# tha Police and Public Enemy’s 911 Is a Joke and Fight the Power indicate that teens and 20-somethings, whom the SMS campaign specifically targets, don’t always hold authority figures in the highest regard. If police possess no means to track the source of an SMS, do they have any credible way to deter bogus tips? Likewise, how can police differentiate a hoax from a serious message?
Additionally, wouldn’t sending SMS messages be an easy way for a criminal enterprise (especially one that engages in activities that are somewhat out in the open such as prostitution, drug dealing, selling stolen goods, etc.) to rat out their competitors? Should society encourage and aid criminals because they are slightly more tech-savvy than their rivals are?
Furthermore, would a text message provide enough probable cause to search private property, justify a warrant, or send in the SWAT team? No? How about two texts? Five? Ten? Fifty? Likewise, assuming police make an arrest based on SMS tips, would they have any way to reach the tipster to testify as a prosecution witness?
Also, because a text message, even with the best use of emoticons, can’t match the emotional range of a voice phone call, will the officers who monitor the SMS feed receive any training on how to assess the urgency of incoming messages and deploy limited resources accordingly? What could such training entail?
http://www.personaldemocracy.com/node/1991
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/07/02/national/a104443D84.DTL
