FULLERTON : Police Open Mailbox to Anonymous Tips

The Fullerton Police Department has set up a post office box to which residents can send anonymous crime tips.

Police hope the box, which went into operation Tuesday, will attract tips from people who would otherwise not call the police, department spokesman Sgt. Glenn Deveney said.

“This service would be particularly useful to senior citizens,” said Deveney, who noted that seniors are generally concerned about remaining anonymous. “Many seniors don’t like to call and would much rather put their complaint in writing.”

While the department plans to look at all tips sent in, Deveney said there will be a heavy screening process to separate the serious and petty complaints.

“I’m sure we will be getting some minor stuff from people complaining about their neighbors,” Deveney said. “But we hope the worthwhile tips will make up for the minor stuff.”

Those sending tips should include as much information as possible to help police in determining whether or not a crime has been or will be committed. The mailed tips will be picked up daily.

While the crime tip service was set up primarily for Fullerton residents, Deveney said tips concerning crimes in other cities will be forwarded to the appropriate police departments.

In addition to the new post office box, Deveney said police will also be sending surveys to recent crime victims to determine how police responded to their complaints.

“Basically, we’re just trying to make our Police Department more approachable for the public,” Deveney said.

The crime tip address is Fullerton Police Department, P.O. Box 6275, Fullerton, Calif. 92634