Crime Fighting's "Secret" Weapon - Anonymous Tips

SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --  Nearly one year after a father of two was gunned down in front of his Redondo Beach home, authorities received an anonymous Nixle tip and caught up to the primary murder suspect over 700 miles away in Salt Lake City, Utah. The suspect now faces extradition back to California.

In more and more cases, anonymous tips like this are leading to big breaks in criminal investigations. "Our detectives worked diligently for many months and used a variety of local, State and Federal resources to search for the suspect," explained Redondo Beach Police Chief Joe Leonardi.  "It was an alert citizen who chose to use Nixle Tip Watch as the first means to communicate with us and who ultimately helped us to find the suspect.  Nixle provided the resident of another state with the ability to easily contact us without getting lost in a telephone message tree.  This is community collaboration in the truest sense of the phrase."

Redondo Beach Police Department began using Nixle Tip Watch last year to give residents the ability to anonymously submit tip information via text message, online, or through a toll-free telephone hotline. The diligent tipster who led agents to their suspect did so by simply texting "Tip RBPD" to 888777 along with the address of his workplace and what time he would arrive. Agents showed up the next day and made the arrest.

The Redondo Beach case is just one of the many recent successes stemming from an anonymous Nixle tip. In Oakland, CA, a suspected bank robber and his companion were arrested after a vigilant Nixle subscriber tipped off officials to their whereabouts. In Fremont, a tip led to the arrests of three suspects accused of armed robberies at several fast food restaurants and convenience stores over a six-month span. Additionally, police in San Angelo, Texas have successfully pursued anonymous tips to solve nearly a dozen cases over the past year, ranging from aggravated robbery and missing persons to credit card fraud and an attempted sexual assault.

"Anonymity is key here," explains Perth Amboy, New Jersey Police Captain and Nixle user Luis Guzman. "Someone who has seen or heard something is less likely to report it if they are worried about what might happen if they talk to the police. They may be scared to come forward. But if no one knows who you are, that fear goes away. And leveraging the eyes and ears of the community is crucial to any police department's success."

Law enforcement agencies interested in learning more about Nixle Tip Watch and its benefits can visit www.nixle.com. Residents can subscribe to receive Nixle alerts directly to their cell phones and emails by simply texting their zip code to 888777, or by also visiting www.nixle.com.

About Nixle

Founded in 2007, San Francisco-based Nixle builds technologies that enable effective communication and collaboration between more than 7,000 public safety agencies, their school districts, and the communities they serve.  Nixle's secure platform of text message, email, and voice notifications connects residents to their local leaders so important information can be shared when it matters most.

SOURCE Nixle