First Coast Crime Stoppers launched a new anonymous text tip line on Sunday, Sept. 27, serving Clay County and five other Northeast Florida counties.

Residents can text the keyword SAFEFC to 738477 to report criminal activity, as first reported by Action News Jax. The program covers Duval, Nassau, Clay, Baker, Bradford and Union counties.

The organization, led by Executive Director Chase Robinson, said it wants residents across the region, not just in Jacksonville, to have a simple way to share information that could help solve crimes in their communities.

How it works

Each tip submitted through First Coast Crime Stoppers is assigned a unique tip number. Tipsters stay anonymous. They are never asked for their name, address or how they obtained the information, according to the organization's website. Anonymity is protected under Florida Statutes 16.555, 16.556 and 16.557.

The SAFEFC text option joins several existing channels: a toll-free hotline at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477), the star-star-TIPS cell phone shortcut, the fccrimestoppers.com website and the P3 Tips mobile app. The organization's website had not yet been updated to list the SAFEFC text option as of Sunday.

Rewards and eligibility

Tips that lead to an arrest through official First Coast Crime Stoppers channels are eligible for cash rewards of up to $3,000 for most offenses, up to $5,000 for active or cold-case homicides, and up to $7,500 for human trafficking cases, according to the organization. Tips submitted through social media, law enforcement websites, third-party apps or direct contact with officers do not qualify.

It was not immediately clear whether tips submitted via the new SAFEFC text line qualify for the same cash rewards as other channels.

Reward pickups are handled anonymously at a bank drive-through using a reward pickup ID. No identification is required.

Clay County connection

The Clay County Sheriff's Office has previously directed residents to First Coast Crime Stoppers when seeking anonymous tips on active investigations, including cases in the Oakleaf and Jennings Forest areas.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, Crime Stoppers received 3,035 tips regionwide, leading to 213 arrests and 615 cleared cases, according to the organization's statistics page. The program approved $124,900 in rewards and helped recover nearly $1.94 million in property, narcotics and cash during that period.

Since 2002, the program has received more than 67,000 tips and contributed to 4,810 arrests across its six-county service area.

Residents who want to check the status of a tip can call (904) 398-3775 on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.