TexasCHLforum.com

I hope I have not started something that I will regret later. I am working from home at this point so at least I am here most of the day.

Thanks for the amazing first-hand account.

I sincerely hope that nothing bad happens and you have a burglar alarm.

- Jim

Kawabuggy wrote:I wonder if people truly believe that they are "anonymous" when they post on that site. I'll bet the cops don't want it publicly known that they can always tell at least the IP address of the poster, and probably MUCH more than that. How can anyone believe now a days that anything sent over the web can't be traced???

There are several ways.

Some people have access through school that can't be traced to an individual. Given that a lot of gang activity involves minor teenagers, their acquaintances probably are a good source of information.

Then there are computers in public libraries that anyone can use. They may require users to sign in, but they don't seem to notice if you sign in as Spiro Agnew or some such.

Then there are anonymizer servers, mostly overseas, that are beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement.

Then there's war driving, but we won't go into that.

- Jim

The Houston Police Department has a web site for anonymous crime tips: http://www.stophoustongangs.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It has resulted in 30 arrests in seven months, mostly for gang-related activity.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 64265.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

While "dropping a dime" has been around since the pay phone was invented, this site allows informants to upload photos and video. Tips are forwarded to a shift supervisor immediately.

Jilted "girlfriends" seem to be a good source of information.

P.S.: I wonder how old you have to be to know what "drop a dime" means. I recently saw a little kid looking at a pay phone like it was an alien artifact.

- Jim