Full Notification

The Cushing Police Department is pleased to announce that citizens can now gain access to neighborhood level crime incident data in near real time. Through a partnership with CrimeReports, creators of the national crime map at www.crimereports.com the Cushing Police Department is giving Cushing citizens free access to the world’s largest online crime map. Together with CrimeReports, citizens are also able to send anonymous tips to law enforcement via text message, iPhone and Android.

“Providing reliable, timely information to our citizens is one of our top priorities,” says Police Chief Terry Brannon. “And partnering with CrimeReports gives us the ability to keep the public informed on a regular basis as to what is going on in the community.” He added that the public can access the crime map through the website or through the CrimeReports iPhone app, which is available for free download in the Apple iTunes store.

The new service even lets local citizens sign up for free customizable email alerts, so they can stay on top of crime in their neighborhood. “Information is power,” Brannon added. “And we hope that giving the community this information will help them understand crime trends and lower crime in their neighborhoods.”

Along with the interactive crime map, citizens also have access to the anonymous tipping platform TipSoft, which is used by more than 700 law enforcement agencies nationwide. The service allows people to anonymously provide tips to law enforcement. When a tip is sent, it is encrypted and routed through secure servers, protecting the personal details of the tip provider. It also allows police to exchange text messages with the tip provider without ever knowing the person’s identity. Text users can send their tip to “CRIMES” (274637) with the keyword CUSHING.

“The popularity of text messaging has created a significant opportunity for the public to help law enforcement agencies prevent and solve crime,” said Brannon. “The ability for any citizen who owns a mobile phone to assist law enforcement is extremely valuable and we are excited to roll this program out to the public.”

“The Cushing Police Department is demonstrating its leadership in law enforcement by finding new ways to connect with the public at a personal level,” says Greg Whisenant, founder and CEO of CrimeReports. “By offering CrimeReports and TipSoft, they are recognizing the value of the public’s involvement and being proactive in both policing and investing in programs that make a difference.” Both the web-based crime map and crime tip service are designed to be affordable for agencies of all sizes.

“On behalf of the department, Cushing Crime Stoppers and the citizens of Cushing, I want to thank the three local businesses, who desired to remain unnamed, for their financial support to help us launch this newest service,” Brannon said. “These are grassroots businesses in our community so it took sacrifice on their part to support this project,” he said. “I appreciate their believing in our staff to support this new service, which in turn will support a better quality of life by allowing citizens to proactively support our crime fighting efforts wherever they may be through the use of technology thereby helping make our community safer for all,” Brannon concluded.