thedailytimes.com : Your 24/7 news source

Directors of Maryville, Alcoa and Blount County schools teamed with Blount County Sheriff's Office officials Monday morning to announce the new text-a-tip service, which allows students at all area high schools to text message anonymous tips that will be processed through the 9-1-1 Communications Center.

Once the text message is sent, the tipster will receive a text message with their confidential code number so they may add information to the original tip, if necessary.

As long as the communication has not been stopped, then either officials with the Blount County 9-1-1 Communication Center or the Blount County Sheriff's Office will be able to respond to tipsters via text message about their tip.

Students Monday were given a predetermined number in which to send a text message tip. The tipster will then type a key word before the tip message.

When 9-1-1 dispatchers receive an alert that they have received a tip, dispatch supervisors will type a message back to the tipster asking questions to discern what the situation is and how it should be handled, officials said.

During school, the tips will be handled by school resource officers. When school is not in session, patrol officers will be responsible for tips of a criminal nature.