Residents can let local law enforcement know at the push of a button if they’ve seen a crime, thanks to an anonymous text message tip system.

Tip411 is the newest feature of Citizen Observer, a Web-based community alert program the Pelham Police Department adopted last fall, said Chief Joseph Roark. Now residents can report suspicious activity by texting the department rather than making a call, he said.

“We’ve had people in the past create fictitious e-mails to send us tips, and we’re excited to give people an option to send it in really quickly and directly,” Roark said. “It comes right into our dispatch center, and it looks like an instant messaging screen. The tip comes in, and they’ll look at the tip and distribute this to the appropriate division.”

Though the messages are received anonymously, the department can use the program to get back in contact with tipsters to follow up even without knowing who they are, Roark said.

The program also allows two-way communication.

Local police can now broadcast emergency information to cell phones to use all those extra eyes and ears to help find missing persons or solve crimes.

Tip411 comes at no additional cost, said Roark, other than the $2,500 annually the department already spends for Citizen Observer.

The company first offered a text message tip service about two years ago, said Dan Zell, Tip411’s national program manager. Law enforcement agencies in 45 states are now enrolled, ranging from major metropolitan departments like Detroit to small towns like Pelham, he said.

“It’s a smaller agency that has access to resources that typically only large communities and agencies would have access to,” Zell said. “With their use of it, they’re kind of leveraging a loop of communication that engages citizens … as well as enabling the community to engage them.”

Turning to residents to help solve or prevent crimes isn’t a new idea in police work, said Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police in Washington, D.C. “All you’re really doing is using one of the oldest concepts in policing: knowing your neighborhood and letting your neighbors know you,” Pasco said. “That goes back to the cop walking the beat and taking that concept, which is tried and true, and applying new technology in communications. It’s the next logical step.”

Police departments adapt to the times, he said. A quick exchange of information is crucial in the first hour after a crime is committed and doubly so in a hostage or abduction scenario, Pasco said.

Roark said he hopes the program will make it more comfortable for members of the “text-friendly” generation to reach out to police. Since rolling out Citizen Observer, the department has had 350 residents sign up for e-mail alerts. Getting information out to the public has helped solve crimes and fosters a working relationship with residents, he said.

That’s something Roark would like to see continue. “It’s a way to reach people in a society that’s instantaneous. We have to adapt,” Roark said. “We can’t (mail) newsletters like we used to do. People want their information very quickly and very easy to digest. It’s been outstanding and worked very well.”

To begin using Tip411, text “PELHAM” to 847411 to register for alerts. The department recommends users store the number on their phone for quick access. Anyone can submit a tip online at www.pelham police.com, sign up for e-mail alerts or learn more about the program.

Tip411 should never be used in an emergency and is not a replacement for 911, the department says. All life- or property-threatening emergencies should be reported by calling 911.