San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon is tapping into technology to help fight crime.
Gascon will announce the department's latest weapon Text-a-Tip Wednesday. The Internet-based tool will give people a way to text message anonymous information to police.
The service will also give police a way to respond in real time and have anonymous conversations with people who use the texting service.
Police Lt. James Miller told commissioners at a recent meeting that the program will be especially helpful for Muni passengers who want to report a crime without drawing attention to themselves.
Just think, police might have known at the very moment it happened if they had received the text "humping in progress" during a recent rash of disturbing behavior on Muni.
San Francisco's 311 service already uses texting as a way to interact with the public.
Text-a-Tip is currently being used by police in 40 states.
