Residents can text anonymous crime tips and receive alerts using a system that has been operating more than a month at the Cedar Park Police Department. Cedar Park Police Chief Sean Mannix announced the new Tip411 program April 30. “For those in the community [who] have ever wanted to let us know about … a crime that has occurred that they might have information on, but they might have been hesitant to call us, well, there’s an app for that,” Mannix said. Residents in emergency situations must call 911. But anyone who has a nonemergency tip about a crime or suspicious activity can text 847411 with the keyword “CPPD,” he said. Smartphone users can also download the Tip411 app for iPhones or Androids. Tara Long, media and communications specialist with CPPD, said the department joined the program as part of a broader community outreach goal. Sometimes residents want to aid police but do not want to give their names or become involved in sensitive situations, she said. “We’ve gotten maybe 20 tips since we launched, and some of them are really related to concerns about drug use,” Long said. “If you are a neighbor and you’re noticing odd things going on but you don’t necessarily want to get involved yourself—because you’re concerned about backlash—that’s absolutely what we want [to help with].” Mannix said officers are able to respond to text messages and converse with the tipper. “We can follow up with folks [who] are submitting tips, either real time or later on, and continue the conversation anonymously until such time as they decide, ‘I’m done,’” he said. A user is able to end a text conversation any time by texting the single word “stop.” Long said the cities of Austin, Kyle, Round Rock and San Marcos use the Tip411 program, along with more than 1,200 communities throughout the United States. The Tip411 program also includes a public safety alert service—which police use to send non-emergency notifications to residents—and a crime-mapping tool at www.raidsonline.com. Users can see maps of their own neighborhoods along with crime types and locations, and compare the information with any suspicious activity they may have seen, Mannix said. “Our goal, really, is to expand the public safety conversation with the community,” he said.