CPD offers new technology to report crimes anonymously

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police want the public to help them catch criminals in a new way.

The Chicago Police Department will announce a new way for people to come forward with tips and stay anonymous.

The person reporting the crime is asked to select the type of crime and say when and where it happened.. You can also add a photo or a description of any suspects and can remain anonymous.

After submitting a tip, you will get an ID number. That tip will be private and not reveal your identity.

With that tip number, you will be able to follow up on your tip and even chat in real time.

The website cpdtip.com is supposed to be more user friendly and run on mobile devices.

The hope is to make the service more accessible to people who want to report crimes but are worried about their privacy.

"We do have some good people, and we do have some totally brave people," said resident Eujeana Nathaniel.

Others say we shouldn't need another tool to help fix our communities.

"The idea is cool, but, once again, if you take it back to the days when I grew up, it takes a village. Don't wait for social media or a new link to create something, just do it as a whole. You see something happening, that's how you make the difference," said Jimmie Spencer, resident.

Community activist Andrew Holmes uses a similar set-up and says just this week an anonymous tip caller to his center helped police find two guns hidden in a garbage bin. Holmes says the key to making this new police system work is trust and privacy.

"If it's not glitch-proof, it's not going to work," he said. "But if it's safety, and it's going to protect the people that are calling in and not identify them, then it's a good system."