DeKALB – DeKalb residents will soon be able to report a crime in the time it takes to send a text message.

The DeKalb Police Department is planning to launch a smartphone application either this month or in early March that would allow residents to anonymously report suspicious activity and send photographs and video from their phone that could help police in investigations.

The program, called iWatch, is a free application that connects police departments and residents through a third party. Reports can be submitted in more than 30 languages and translated, a key feature DeKalb Police Chief Gene Lowery said could break language barriers and make people more comfortable communicating with police.