IT Infrastructure & Management

Durham, N.C., Students Can Now Text Anonymous Tips

By McClatchy-Tribune — October 15, 2012 1 min read
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Students in Durham, N.C., public schools can now use their mobile phones to provide anonymous tips to school safety administrators.

The service, called Text-A-Tip, allows students to send anonymous tips online, via smartphone, or by sending a text message to “CRIMES” (274637) with the keyword DPSTIP from any mobile phone.

“In a school setting, it’s often imperative that information be conveyed to authorities quickly,” says Eric Becoats, the superintendent of the 32,700-student district. “And with Text-A-Tip, students will know that it is safe for them to do the right thing without ever disclosing their identity.”

Students can use Text-A-Tip to report any safety-related information, including bullying, suicide prevention, sexting, drug use, or information about potential crimes.

Currently used by more than 800 schools and law-enforcement agencies throughout the country, Text-A-Tip, which is provided by Draper, Utah-based CrimeReports, allows text-message providers to remain anonymous by encrypting the text messages, assigning them a unique ID, and routing them through secure servers.

A version of this article appeared in the October 17, 2012 edition of Digital Directions as Durham Students Can Now Text Annonymous Tips

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