Forsyth schools, sheriff's office launch campus crime-stoppers

CUMMING - Forsyth County Schools (FCS) and the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office have joined together to allow students, parents and community members the ability to send anonymous tips by sending a text message from a cellular phone or the internet to Campus Crime Stoppers.

FCS' Superintendent Dr. L.C. Buster Evans stated, "Keeping students and our schools safe is a community partnership. As we continue to add new students, it has become increasingly difficult for responsible students, parents and community members to report crimes in a local, safe and effective manner. Along with continued strong relationships of our staff and their community, Campus Crime Stoppers is our solution."

Campus Crime Stoppers allows information to be anonymously received and securely replied to with complete confidence. The service is built specifically to allow text messaging informants to remain anonymous by encrypting the text messages and routing them through several secure servers, protecting the personal details of the informant.

"The popularity of text messaging has created a significant opportunity for the public to help law enforcement agencies fight crime," said Sheriff Ted Paxton. "The ability for any citizen who owns a cellular phone to assist in crime solving is of great importance to communities globally and we are excited to play such a pivotal role in the transmission of these crime fighting tips."

Campus Crime Stoppers also allows the Sheriff's Office and FCS's Department of School Safety to respond by text message to the originating cell phone without ever knowing the identity of the individual who left the tip. The user's information is always given an alias and a unique ID before being sent. This secure application allows the tipster and the investigator to have two-way dialog while always keeping the user's identity completely anonymous.

"This is by far one of the most innovative and progressive tools I have seen in my career," said Sheriff Paxton. "There is no doubt that this program will dramatically increase our crime solving capabilities within the school system."

FC students, parents and community members can also access the anonymous web-based Campus Crime Stoppers by visiting www.forsythsheriff.org , www.forsyth.k12.ga.us , and any school's website, where they can click on the "Campus Crime Stoppers" button. Just like the anonymous Text Messaging tips, tipsters remain anonymous and are provided a unique ID so two-way dialog can occur.

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and FCS' Department of School Safety encourage everyone to report information about any non-urgent illegal activity, such as unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, the sale and distribution of drugs or information about crimes that are being planned in the schools. Students who discover information from MySpace, Facebook or YouTube and anonymously text in a tip will help prevent a tragedy or great loss.

To submit an anonymous text message, text to the word CRIMES (274637) and begin your message with FCSS. Tipsters can also call the Campus Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 770-205-4625.