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Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office Announces Partnership with SaferWatch Mobile Application


Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce a new partnership with SaferWatch, a mobile application and security platform designed to prevent crime and promote public safety.

The SaferWatch App is free to the public, and allows citizens to report suspicious activity, perceived threats, and safety concerns directly to Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office using their smartphones. The Sheriff’s Office can also send official real-time alerts directly to citizens on the application, keeping them informed and up-to-date on crucial safety advisories that impact the county or their city.

“SaferWatch is a tool which gives our citizens another avenue to privately and directly communicate with our office, helping all of us work closer together,” said Bob Goldsmith, Sheriff of Tippecanoe County. “The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office strives to do everything we can to protect and serve our citizens, and we cannot do this without communicating with those living, working, and visiting Tippecanoe County. SaferWatch gives us the ability to do just that.”

The SaferWatch program will cover the entire county of Tippecanoe, encouraging two-way communication between law enforcement and the community. Users have the ability to upload photos, videos, audio files and text messages directly to the app, which helps to streamline investigative timelines. There is also the option to send in tips as yourself or anonymously, and even request a call back to receive follow-up for more information.

Reports made through SaferWatch will automatically be routed into the county's 911 center and each report will be routed to the proper jurisdiction, similar to how non-emergency phone calls are handled today.
Implementing the SaferWatch program in communities has led to the prevention of many serious incidents and crimes, including school shooting threats, sex offenders, drugs, guns, burglaries, domestic violence cases and more.

“We developed SaferWatch to bring the community and law enforcement closer together, and during this time it’s more important than ever that we join together. SaferWatch is proud to partner with Sheriff Goldsmith, the Sheriff’s Office and the people of Tippecanoe County in a joint effort in keeping our community safe,” said SaferWatch CEO, Geno Roefaro.

The app is easy to use, and can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store and Google Play. Once registered on SaferWatch, individuals are encouraged to submit tips and receive alerts from locations that are important to them, whether that be a city, school, place of worship or public area.

SaferWatch is also providing their Digital Panic Button solution to the Tippecanoe School Corporation (TSC) and other participating schools within the county. When a SaferWatch Digital Panic Button is pressed, local emergency services are immediately notified in the County’s 911 center of the situation. SaferWatch's Digital Panic Button categories often include Active Shooter, Crime in Progress, Fire/Explosion, Medical Emergency and Staff Assist.

The SaferWatch Panic Button inform emergency dispatchers not only of the type of situation that is occurring, but also of the reporter's exact GPS location and allows emergency operators to communicate directly with the reporter in real-time.

SaferWatch's technology is essential in ensuring and promoting the safety of employees, students and visitors in schools and large campuses. SaferWatch Panic Buttons ultimately help to reduce law enforcement response time and provide first responders with additional information than a typical call over the radio or phone.

Dr. Scott Hanback, Superintendent of the TSC, appreciates adding this additional layer of security to local schools. “The panic button feature will serve as a nice complement to our existing safety measures and protocols in the district. The TSC welcomes partnering with the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department in implementing SaferWatch”.

“The ability to communicate quickly and clearly with local authorities provides real-time safety, and adds an additional layer of security to our school program, our students, and our staff,” says Superintendent Scott Glass of Faith Christian School. “As our campus also serves as a local community hub, SaferWatch will allow us to further increase our effectiveness in service to our neighbors.”

Please note that the Lafayette Police Department, West Lafayette Police Department, and Purdue University Police Department will continue using their current notification system, so we encourage you to continue using their system as well. SaferWatch is not a replacement for WeTip either, so we encourage citizens to continue to use that service as well.

SaferWatch is not a replacement of 911, and in the case of an emergency, please call 911 first.

To learn more about the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office and SaferWatch partnership, please visit: https://www.saferwatchapp.com/tippecanoe/ or TippAlerts.com.