File this one under incredibly useful, or incredibly creepy. Textually is reporting that the Boston Police Department has set up an anonymous text in tip line. The press release has some more info:

In a press conference held today, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis unveiled the major initiative to revitalize the city’s anonymous crime tip hotline. The tip hotline program, called Crime Stoppers, is being enhanced by enabling citizens to text message an anonymous tip to police. In addition, the program will be promoted to Bostonians though a targeted pro bono advertising campaign. Boston is the first city in the nation to give it citizens the ability to submit an anonymous tip from their mobile phone via text messaging.

Textually notes that this is not the first such program worldwide:

-- China's New Participatory Citizen Surveillance 

-- UK Police texting scheme nets first criminal 

-- Shanghai police to open SMS hot line 

-- India SMS service to keep rickshaw drivers in check

-- The Netherlands Dutch police start SMS-alert service

Read the press release or head over to Textually.

Technorati Tags: crime, sms, text messaging, boston, police