Thursday, March 14, 2013--6:15p.m.
MADISON AREA--Several police departments in the Madison area are rolling out new ways to communicate with their communities. The Fitchburg, Monona, Verona, Sun Prairie and Middleton departments are teaming up to offer tip411. It allows you to annonymously text tips to any of those departments. All you have to do is type the name of the community--fitchburg for example--to 847411 or tip 411--and then include the info you'd like them to have. This is not an emergency contact line. We're told all five departments should have this available within the next month or two.
Madison Police are also rolling out a new tool: they plan to have a new, more interactive website available sometime next week. It'll include a blog by Chief Wray, but also allow the deparmtent to make videos and photos more accessible. It'll also have mapping capabilities. New to the site: when you pull up an incident report, it could include a map of the location where the incident occurred--as well as pictures of missing persons or suspects. It may even include video. You'll also be able to search incident reports; allowing you to track what types of crimes have occurred near certain addresses.
Police Using Social Media 6pm 3-14-13
