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Starting next week, Seaside residents will be able to report crime with their thumbs - or whichever fingers they use to text on their mobile phones.

According to today's announcement from the Seaside Police Department, the city is teaming up with mobile software company CrimeReports to launch a service where any resident armed with a cell phone can text anonymous crime tips to local law enforcement officers, and officers can respond in kind without the texter's identity being revealed.

CrimeReports assures future users of its TipSoft service in a press release that "the service was built specifically to allow text messaging informants to remain anonymous by encrypting the text messages and routing them through several secure servers."

Not surprisingly, Seaside police officers are excited about this new technology.

"I have been a law enforcement officer for 10 years," said Jackie Meroney, a Seaside detective, "And this is by far the most innovative, progressive tool I've ever seen."

Live in Seaside and want to be a phone-wielding crime fighter? Here's how it works (at least once the service goes live on April 28): Text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES), and in the text field put your department's ID (which, FYI, is SSPDTIPS) and your tip, and hit "Send." Voila! You're part of the Peninsula's pro-safety posse!

For more information on the CrimeReports software, visit http://www.crimereports.com/. Got a question (or a crime tip) for the Seaside PD before the service gets up and running? Call 899-6865.