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How to Stay Anonymous When Reporting Drug Dealing

Drug dealing is a catch-all term used to describe a number of criminal activities connected with drug trafficking. They may involve smuggling, distribution, retail sales, manufacturing, and others. These activities are often accompanied by danger and corruption, and in some cases they bring about unpleasant effects; for example, street-level drug dealing can quickly turn a neighborhood to blight.

The protracted War on Drugs has shown us that drug dealing is a problem that affects several levels of society. While prevention and treatment are the most powerful weapons against this wicked trade, law enforcement agencies working together with communities are also very effective in keeping drugs out of neighborhoods. To this end, police departments often rely on information from the public to help them find pockets of criminal activity and locate suspects.

Over the last few decades, drug dealing has been enshrouded with violence and intimidation. For this reason, many people feel discouraged when it comes to alerting the authorities about criminal activity involving drugs in their neighborhoods. They fear that their information could cause harm to their families or to themselves due to reprisal from drug dealers that resort to violence.

Anonymous Crime Reporting

Concerned citizens who wish to stay anonymous when they report drug dealing have a few options. Law enforcement agencies often have internal programs in place to safeguard the anonymity of people who come forward with information about drug dealing, but this is not the best method. Information managed by police departments can be leaked, and this in turn can compromise the anonymity of informants.

In the United States, the Crime Stoppers program has proven to be effective in the anonymous collection of crime tips. To get in contact with Crime Stoppers, informants must find the local telephone number, which can be searched online. Crime Stoppers operators are specifically trained to protect the identity of callers at all times, and each case is assigned a numerical code to follow up on.

An additional measure of security and anonymity can be added by entering the code *67 prior to dialing the Crime Stoppers number. This will block the telephone number identifier. Callers must be mindful with regard to providing information that may compromise their identity when the investigation is conducted; for example, mentioning that they live close to street corners where drugs are sold on a retail basis or that they personally know suspected criminals.

Disclaimer

This article contains general legal information but does not constitute professional legal advice for your particular situation. The Law Dictionary is not a law firm, and this page does not create an attorney-client or legal adviser relationship. If you have specific questions, please consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

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