Reporting crime via app in New Jersey

Residents in Somerset County, New Jersey, can now report crime via smartphone. Officials just rolled out an app called STOPit.

The app allows users to send police photos, videos, or names in connection with possible crimes, allowing cops to begin an investigation, according to Chief of Detectives John Fodor of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

County Prosecutor Michael Robertson demonstrated how STOPit works. The user can either send an anonymous text message or upload video and photos to authorities.

The app doesn't store a person's cellphone number or an IP address if they're using a computer. This keeps the tipster anonymous, which is paramount in breaking the code of silence in neighborhoods.

STOPit Solutions created the app to help schools fight bullying. Somerset County is first in the nation to use STOPit for crime-fighting.

You can download STOPit from GooglePlay or the iOS App Store. The access code is "SomersetNJ."