Cops adopt SMS tip lines to help fight crime, find out where the party is

Apparently, law enforcement is seriously stepping into the 21st century. According to a report, police dep artments in Boston, Cincinnati and over 100 other communities have begun using a text message tip-line in the hopes that cellphone-savvy youngsters will alert them if they see a crime being committed, or know of one ahead of time. "It's obvious that the future of communication is texting," said Boston Police Crime Stoppers commander (and techno-visionary) Michael Charbonnier, adding that the department's system as yielded, "Some great drug information, specific times, dates, names of suspects, locations, pickup times, [and] license plate numbers." The only roadblock? Getting cops to understand that OMG doesn't refer to a terrorist attack.

[Richard @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

I've gotta say, I love that graphic. LOL

[Dan @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:58AM]

That pciture is pricely, it made my day. lol

[Michael @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:14AM]

I still have that phone!! (It's just my backup phone). The n00b in the pic didn't unfold the phone to use the full keyboard...I mean the is a post about texting.

[bohsocks @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:17AM]

People who text on Nokia's deserve to die anyway

[treacherous @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:39AM]

I agree. Hilarious, and it helped wake me up from my Pepsi sugar crash.

[Matt @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:03AM]

Thanks for giving me a great laugh so early in the day. You rock Joshua!

[SubGenius @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:49AM]

This program sounds like a great idea until they get the bill.

[Aguiluz @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:01PM]

"OMG IM BEING KILLED"

This is one of the reasons I love engadget.

[Reid @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:32PM]

comedy gold

[WilsonGoneWild @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:24PM]

Best. Graphic. Ever.

[Obvious @ Jul 3rd 2008 5:13PM]

Love that phone... Was a freakin' tank, and I could type about as fast on it as I can on my keyboard here @ work. No MP3, 3G, web, 2MP camera, etc, tho. Still, haters can go die in a fire.

[tiuk @ Jul 3rd 2008 4:56PM]

The graphic is the only reason I clicked comments, couldn't care less about the story. Good one, Engadget.

[Eli Gundry @ Jul 3rd 2008 5:27PM]

that graphic is priceless. want moar.

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 3rd 2008 8:41PM]

HAHA! I can stop laughing reading that! All my co-workers keep staring at me LOL

[thedesolate1 @ Jul 4th 2008 4:37PM]

How bout "OMG im hanging off a ledge. Sum1 just pushed me."

[cougfan2012 @ Jul 10th 2008 9:14AM]

haha, picture is the best XD XD!!

[riggs @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

lmao @ the picture

[Ryan Trevisol @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:54AM]

+1!

[Josh @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:26AM]

best engadget picture in a long time

[rock99rock @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:38AM]

Yes, that shite is hilarious right there. One might even throw in

"OMG someone pushed me down (I've fallen), and i can't get up"

[Michael @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

Wow, this could be a really interesting thing to have going on. Every cell phone can text, and thus millions of eyes for the police.

[natels @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:33AM]

Every cell phone can also make calls too..

[Michael @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:38AM]

Yes, but you won't see somebody on the street pick up the phone and say "Hey, they are at the warehouse, the deal is going down tonight!" If they are heard, they are DEAD. People can program in a police number, name is something that nobody can tell it is police number, and text without drawing attention. This is all about making it easier for those to report things and not draw attention and get them hurt.

[Sporkinum @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:47AM]

But not every cell phone has text service.

[Matt @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:05AM]

maybe legally, but sure as hell not morally
we all know he did it

[Matt @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:06AM]

DAMMIT, wrong thread.
Engadget, when oh when will you allow us to EDIT COMMENTS!!!

[rob @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:21PM]

seems like any easy way for bad guys to bombard the police with fake texts though. make them go on wild goose chases.

[Xcrunk @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:29AM]

LAPD, OJ is the killer.

[Warren @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:01AM]

Sorry. OJ is innocent.

[bohsocks @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:24AM]

Sorry, OJ was acquitted. That doesn't mean he is innocent, it means he was found not guilty.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:45AM]

Innocent until proven guilty, right?

[Sin @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:26AM]

OJ rocks a mean pair of Bruno Magli's!

[bohsocks @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:33PM]

@Abuzar:

No, not guilty until proven liable after the civil trial.

[Jash Sayani @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:29AM]

Nest step: Text encryption softwares for mobile phones !

One coming for iPhone: www.jashsoft.com
In the iPhone Apps section

[bob sakamano @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:31AM]

yeah thats the best but saddest graphic of all time

[Kris @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:34AM]

KID: I'm being killed
POLICE: Oh, that sucks. Where are you being killed?
KID: At home.
POLICE: Address?
(kid runs out of airtime)

That sucks

[IT-Accountant @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:42AM]

oh, and they can't track your cellphone, of course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_tracking

[Aguiluz @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:02PM]

You guys don't know that dialing an emergency number is totally free?

But yeah, that scenario sucks.

[R Dubills @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:37AM]

Funniest Engadget post ever

[Ellianth @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:53AM]

not so much the post as the graphic.

[Peter Harris @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:38AM]

My sister has been texting the police for years. I burst out laughing when she showed me a text from an officer a couple years back. (No not personal "omg wut r u doin" texts, actual police investigation related)

[technophobe @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:47AM]

You sister has a thing for Policemen then, or they have a thing for her!

[Warren @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:03AM]

Lets just say I was a cop... and I wanted to get in contact with ur sister...

[Kris @ Jul 4th 2008 3:11AM]

@Warren. Classic!!!

[blizz419 @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:45AM]

god damn snitches gettin it easier and easier

[Stef_ @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:48AM]

Amazing graphic, just made my day...

[Stef_ @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:49AM]

Amazing graphic... Definitely just made my day, lol

[momotarosan @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:53AM]

remember the story about the boy who cried wolf

[IT-Accountant @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:54AM]

just wait till the cops get one like:"1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d" and spend 3 hours trying to figure it out, only to rush off to arrest the sender.

[blizz419 @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:02AM]

LMAO! Makes me want to buy a cheap ass prepayed phone just to do that, smash and toss it after lol