State what is known
A tip should give a factual account of what happened, when, and where. Separate direct observation from an interpretation or something learned from another person.
Choose the recipient and attachment carefully
Where available, connect the submission to the relevant agency post or select the appropriate participating agency. Review any media and location before sending.
Understand what the agency may do with it
Review, retention, and lawful sharing are agency responsibilities. A submission may be useful even without a personal response, but no response or investigative result is promised.
Keep emergency reporting separate
An immediate threat or need for urgent police, fire, or medical assistance belongs with 911. Neither this website nor a general support email is a public safety reporting channel.
Relevance is more useful than volume
A short factual account can be more useful than a large collection of unrelated material. Explain the connection to the agency’s request: the item you recognized, the place you remember or the observation time. Make uncertainty explicit. A reviewer should not have to guess which part of a submission you consider significant.
When an attachment is supported and appropriate, explain what it shows. If the relevant detail occurs at a particular point in a recording, follow the agency’s instructions for identifying it. Do not assume that uploading a file establishes its reliability, interpretation or role in an investigation.
A contribution is not a public accusation
The appropriate recipient is the agency, through a supported reporting channel. Publicly naming a person or circulating an unsupported interpretation can create a very different risk from sharing a factual observation for review. Avoid treating a resemblance, a rumor or a partial description as a conclusion.
Lucas and Sentinel are intended to connect public information with relevant community contributions while preserving agency review. That aim depends on both sides: residents describe what they know; the agency applies its procedures and judgment. A submission is information to assess, not proof of wrongdoing or a promise of a particular action.
A useful account separates observation from interpretation
Describe the event first. Then explain why you think it may relate to a request. That order lets the reviewer understand the facts without having to accept your conclusion. Say whether the account is firsthand and identify estimates, such as an approximate time.
Consider a fictional observation of a child wearing a blue jacket beside a building. The useful details are the place, time and features actually seen. “This must be the missing child” goes further than the observation establishes. A clear account explains what seemed relevant while leaving the department room to assess it.
The FBI’s public tip guidance emphasizes honest, accurate information and relevant timestamps. The objective is not a polished story. It is an account someone who was not present can understand and check.
An attachment should answer a question
If you include a supported image or file, explain what the reviewer should notice and how it relates to your account. Identify the relevant period rather than expecting someone to search a long recording without a starting point.
Keep the original where possible and follow the receiving agency’s instructions about providing a copy. A camera’s displayed time can differ from the event’s actual time; state any known discrepancy rather than silently correcting it. Source and handling history can matter when digital material is assessed.
The current feature determines which attachments can be sent. No marketing example establishes a file-size limit, a supported video format or an evidence-handling certification. If the option you need is unavailable, ask the agency which route to use.
Source: NIST IR 8387: preserving digital evidence · UK government: recovery and acquisition of video evidence
Send to an identifiable recipient
Before submitting, check the department and any case reference. Your present location does not necessarily identify the agency responsible for an earlier request. Explain that connection in the account so the reviewer understands why the information was directed there.
Avoid broadcasting the account to many departments or posting an accusation publicly. More recipients do not automatically produce a better review. Follow the agency’s instructions for corrections, follow-up information or a submission that belongs elsewhere.
A tip channel can support useful participation without asking residents to become investigators. Share what you already know and stay safe. Use emergency services when immediate assistance is required.
From a break-in request to assigned review
A department asks for existing camera footage from a defined street and period after a fictional home break-in. A resident who has relevant material can describe its origin, time and camera direction, then send it through the supported route to the issuing department.
On the agency side, an officer can be assigned, a status selected and an internal note added. This gives the information an operational next step without making a claim that every tip will identify a suspect or resolve a case. New tips can also begin a review where there is no matching public request.
Sources and further reading
- FBI: providing useful information in a tip
- NIST IR 8387: preserving digital evidence
- UK government: recovery and acquisition of video evidence
Page reviewed October 27, 2026. External guidance explains the stated topic; it does not establish a product outcome or endorsement.