September 24, 2021
Jim Evancho
Many people have heard of CrimeStoppers, but do not fully know their services to the individual communities they work within. Founded in 1997, the Central Alabama CrimeStoppers has helped law enforcement agencies to make over 2,600 arrests, over 7,500 filed charges, taken in 11,936 tips from concerned citizens, and has paid out over $180,000 in rewards. All of this is done through anonymous contacts from the community who wants to help keep Alabama safe.
Central Alabama CrimeStoppers is entirely non-profit 501(c)(3) and operates from donations, sponsors, and fundraisers that they host. Tony Garrett, being one of the original founders of Central Alabama CrimeStoppers, spoke with the Calhoun County Journal to explain how this self-reliant organization operates. CrimeStoppers does not utilize any taxpayer dollars, so they are not taking anything away from government budgets. Instead, they rely on private businesses, sponsors, and other events they host to maintain their operating budget and reward system. This enables them to operate independently from the agencies that they work with and allows tipsters to retain the ability to remain anonymous and receive rewards in some cases.
Although many people think of the press releases CrimeStoppers provide when a police department is looking for information about a specific person or crime, they offer many other services. For example, suppose a concerned citizen believes that their neighbor is selling drugs, but they do not want to contact the police directly. In that case, they can call the anonymous tip hotline at CrimeStoppers and give them the information. The staff at CrimeStoppers will take the information and forward it to the correct law enforcement agency while maintaining the privacy of the tipster. The tipster can also check the tip’s status to see if there was a positive outcome or if there is a reward for the information. In addition to working with the community to help locate wanted people or gain knowledge on crimes, they also provide free training to law enforcement. If a police department is looking for a trainer in their area, they only need to contact CrimeStoppers to request training assistance. CrimeStoppers will get an instructor in their area to set up a class for them, at no charge.
Using the CrimeStoppers communication platforms is easy, and they now offer three methods to communicate with them. The first method is the telephone; you will be given a tip number when you call (334) 215-7867. They will not ask you for your name (unless you wish to testify later) or phone number, and they also do not use caller ID. The conversations are not recorded, and the call-taker requests no personal information. Once you have given your tip, they will contact the agency and give them only the information provided about their case. The second method is to use the Central Alabama CrimeStoppers website at www.215stop.com. This is also 100% confidential, and there is no personal information requested from the tipster. The integrated two-way dialog capability allows the tipster to provide information but still have the opportunity to come back later and offer more information regarding that case. The CrimeStoppers staff also can communicate with the tipster if any questions arise or if a reward is provided based on the information given. The final method of communicating with CrimeStoppers is their P3 TIPS app, available for iPhones and Androids. It works similarly to the website contact version, but allows the tipster to access the service much faster after the app is set up.
CrimeStoppers is happy to say that all Calhoun County law enforcement agencies have signed up to utilize this service, and some have already used it with excellent results. For example, the City of Jacksonville Police Department used CrimeStoppers to identify a person that had broken into a local bank; the subject was identified very quickly. Recently the City of Oxford Police Department also used the CrimeStoppers services to help identify an armed robbery suspect; he was also identified very rapidly. Chief Marcus Wood of the Jacksonville Police Department said that he was very optimistic about using the CrimeStoppers program to assist with their investigations. He stated, “Many of the people that commit crimes in Jacksonville don’t live here or even in this area, making it harder for us to identify people.” Using the CrimeStoppers platforms will increase the number of people that see the photos and help to identify people that may live many counties away.
If you want to assist local law enforcement with making a safer community, CrimeStoppers is a powerful tool to utilize and remain anonymous.
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