Earlier this week the Metropolitan Police Department announced its latest phone number that might help it solve crime: 1-888-919-CRIME is a toll free tip line that will be staffed by detectives around the clock. The new number should not be confused with 311 or 911, however, which are of course already fairly confusing.

The MPD says this new number should be used to make anonymous tips to the police about homicides, gangs, guns, or other violent offenses. More interestingly, they’ve also set up a text message service to do the same job. Texting to the number 50411 will allow anyone with a cell phone to text tips to the MPD. Get it? 5-0 411?

Give 5-0 the 411 with the new Text Tip Line: 50411. Text messages are monitored by members of the department 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Tips are then analyzed and passed on to the appropriate unit or division for follow-up.

Hilarious.

Still, texting crime tips seems like a perfectly fine (and cheap) idea to try, especially if the MPD is trying to reach out to younger kids who have cell phones and text constantly, but might be too nervous or intimidated to speak to an actual detective on the phone. Text senders should know that they will not receive a response to their messages, though, since the text tip line is also anonymous.