SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – Seeing signs of red flags in your neighborhood on the Suncoast? Local law enforcement wants you to report it.
“Police officers can’t be everywhere, and if we don’t have the eyes and ears of the 400 plus thousand residents of Sarasota County, we’re not as effective as we could be,” Sarasota County Lt., Shawn Johnson said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated September 25 as national “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day to serve as a reminder that you can play a critical role in keeping your nation safe.
By making law enforcement aware of anomalies and nuances in your neighborhood.…. You’re helping them, help you.
“I don’t know what cars belong in the driveway, I don’t know who belongs in the neighborhood, I don’t know when things are out of place,” Martin County Lt. Ryan Grimsdale said. “I may drive by and see these things, but they don’t appear to be out of place, you do.”
Martin County Lt. Ryan Grimsdale says no information is ever too small to report.
“We get information from loose dogs to homicide information,” Lt. Grimsdale said. “It really runs the gamut.”
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s office has received tips helping save lives.
“This individual was from Tampa, was able to submit an anonymous tip that helped prosecute and put somebody away for a long time that actually committed a heinous murder,” Lt. Johnson said.
It’s all bout being proactive. That’s why, in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting, Kevin Angell developed the ‘See it, Say it, Send it’ app. It allows people to send suspicious activity information to local law enforcement agencies, offering anonymous two-way communication.
“If it causes the hair on the back of your neck to stand up where you think something might be wrong, rather than sit on that information, make sure someone that can do something about it, has that information,” Crowdsource Geofencing Solutions CEO Kevin Angell said.
You submit tips online, over the phone, or even through mobile apps.
“You may have the key or the missing puzzle piece to solve a crime,” Angell said.
So, “If you see something, say something.”
If there’s an emergency, the first number to call is 9-1-1. But, if it’s not, then you can use the other local resources available to you. Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Tip Number is (941) 316-1201. You can also report tips to SCSO on its social media platforms and mobile app.
