ORANGEBURG, S.C. — The Orangeburg Department of Public Safety has launched a new app that will allow people to communicate with its officers anonymously.
The goal is to make it easier for residents to connect and communicate with law enforcement through the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety app.
“We believe that this certainly is going to be a way of improving our service delivery. It will help us to work more closely with our communities in terms of sharing information," said Orangeburg DPS director Charles Austin.
Anyone who downloads the app will get alerts about crime activity in their area. If someone sends a tip, an officer can contact them directly and they will remain anonymous.
“You never know, someone may just be passing through and witness some activity that needs to be reported so that would give them the opportunity to do so.”
This comes as the department prepares for an expected increase in crime during the holiday season.
“It’s not untypical for activity around the holiday season to peak so we are taking this step as well as other steps to minimize that," said Austin.
The app is available to download on Goggle Play, the iTunes app store and online. Those without a smartphone can share information with ODPS by sending an anonymous text tip via their cell phone to DPS by texting keyword ODPS and their message/tip to 847411 (tip411). Anonymous web tips can also be submitted to the department's website.