Pubdate: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 Source: Frederick News Post (MD) Copyright: 2009 Randall Family, LLC. Contact: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/814 Author: Kate Leckie CYBER COMMUNITY WATCH: POLICE SEEK DRUG E-TIPS Joining the Frederick Police Department's fight against illegal drugs is just a few keystrokes away. The drug enforcement unit has established an e-mail address for taking residents' tips on drug activity -- even photos or videos, said Sgt. Dwight Sommers, the unit's supervisor. Police aren't looking to identify tipsters, Sommers said. They don't plan to drag them into court. "Not to worry. That's not how this works," he said. "We simply want to elicit information from the community that will give us a start - a location, a tag number. We'll take it from there." The new e-mail address is a product of changing technology, he said. The address is Residents who don't have access to a computer may continue to call in with information to the drug enforcement unit's phone line. That number is 301-600-2246. Having the phone line and e-mail address helps get the tips to the officers who will investigate them more efficiently, instead of having them filtered first through the police department's main line. While the agency isn't equipped for text messaging yet, that idea is in the works when finances permit, Sommers said. "We hope to eventually get there too." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin