App to fight crime: Abbeville Police Dept. introduces phone app to help citizens provide tips

The Abbeville Police Department is increasing its crime-fighting arsenal with a new app to help residents connect with the department to find information, view alerts, and submit anonymous tips from their smartphone.
Developed by tip411, the Abbeville PD app puts a powerful new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members of all ages. The Abbeville PD app is available for download for free via the Google Play Store, iTunes App Store, by visiting the Abbeville Police Department website at www.abbevillepd.com, or the official Abbeville PD Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AbbevillePoliceDepartment/.
“Only together, can we keep Abbeville safe,” said Chief of Police William Spearman of the Abbeville Police Department. “Working together, we are more likely to make lasting improvements in the safety of our community, I believe the new Abbeville PD app from tip411 will help better connect our department to our residents.”
The new Abbeville PD app enables the public to share an anonymous tip with police and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation.
“We’ve listened to feedback from partners like Abbeville Police and have built a more advanced and innovative product to help departments better engage their communities,” said tip411 President Terry Halsch. “The Abbeville PD app powered by tip411 will greatly improve the public’s access to agency alerts, social media channels, important information, and more to help fight crime.”
The Abbeville PD app and tip411 anonymous text a tip system are 100% anonymous, as the technology removes all identifying information before police see the tips and there is no way to identify the sender.
Residents in Abbeville without a smartphone can share information with police by sending an anonymous text tip via their cell phone to police by texting keyword APDTIPS and their message/tip to 847411 (tip411). Anonymous web tips can also be submitted through the department’s website at www.abbevillepd.com or the official Abbeville PD Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AbbevillePoliceDepartment/.
In order to help the public, Lt. Jonathan Touchet will also be holding two community meetings, which will review the new tip system as well as covering Neighborhood Watch programs and some basic safety neighborhood tips. These meetings are scheduled for the following times and places:
• Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at 6:00 P.M. at the meeting room next to the Vermilion Parish Chamber of Commerce (1907 Veterans Memorial Drive)
• Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 6:00 P.M. at the Vermilion Parish Library in Abbeville (405 E. St. Victor Street)