New London — The police department on Monday unveiled a new mobile application and social media tool designed to make it easier for people to submit anonymous tips and report crimes.

The Tip411 app is administered through a partnership with CitizenObserver, a web-based community policing solution, according to a statement issued Monday from the city’s public relations firm, Quinn & Hary Marketing.

“Modern times require modern policing techniques,” Deputy Police Chief Peter Reichard said in the statement. “Because society has become mobile and people are on the go, they rely on technology for day to day communication; the methods police use to communicate with the public has changed too.”

“The ability of Tip411 to create open lines of communication between the public and police has enhanced the capabilities of the New London Police Department,” he stated.

To report an anonymous tip, New London residents can send a text message, download an application for an Android or iPhone, or send a tip via Facebook by clicking “Submit A Tip” on the NLPD’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NewLondonPolice. Once the tip is received, a message automatically will be sent to New London police supervisors, who can communicate back to the tipster through CitizenObserver without ever knowing the tipster’s identity.

“The City of New London will continue to use the newest technologies to enhance our approach to law enforcement,” Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio said in the statement. “I believe this new 411-app will aide our ongoing efforts to make New London the safest city in Connecticut.”

To send an anonymous tip to the NLPD, citizens may use one of three methods:

■ Text the word NLPDTip and the message to 847411 (tip411).

■ Download the free application through the App Store, which would allow to send the tip without texting.

■ Click on the “Submit a Tip” button on the NLPD Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NewLondonPolice.

Unlike CopLogic, the web-based incident reporting tool that was introduced by NLPD last year, Tip411 is confidential and anonymous. CopLogic offers a way to formally report certain incidents to the police department and allows citizens to receive their incident report via email.

For more information about Tip411, contact the New London Police Department at (860) 447-5269.