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ABOUT CRIMESTOPPERS
Routinely the police department issues press releases
ending with “Anyone who has knowledge of this crime please
call the Iowa City Police Department.” This rarely results
in anyone actually calling us with information that leads to an arrest.
Local police departments benefit from the CrimeStoppers program.
It breaks through the barriers, giving people the opportunity to
provide
information
without directly speaking to police or having to testify in court.
Most often, police need information that allows them to zero in on
a suspect or criminal operation such as a drug trafficking network.
How does CrimeStoppers work?
There is always someone who has information that can help solve crime.
Those are the people who can call CrimeStoppers anonymously and provide
a tip that will help investigators identify who is responsible. In
any investigation, police and other law enforcement agencies encounter
individuals who will not directly provide information. The three
key reasons are:
•
Fear of reprisal
•
An attitude of apathy
•
Reluctance to get involved
CrimeStoppers breaks through these barriers by giving people the
opportunity to provide information without directly speaking to police
or having to testify in court. Obviously investigators need witnesses
to help prove their case in court, but most importantly they need
information that allows them to zero in on a suspect or a criminal
operation such as a drug trafficking network. Tips to CrimeStoppers
do not give police evidence they require to arrest an individual
but puts them on the right track to solve crime. A cash reward from
CrimeStoppers also motivates some people to call anonymously with
information that will be vital to investigators.
Today there are some 1,200 CrimeStoppers programs in communities
around the world that take tips to assist investigators to solve
crimes including homicides, sexual assaults, drug trafficking operations
and robberies, just to name a few. Programs have also received information
that has prevented school shootings and criminal acts by terrorist
organizations.
CrimeStoppers programs are operated as not-for-profit and are managed
by a volunteer board of directors who take responsibility for fundraising
and paying rewards to individuals who anonymously call with information
that helps solve a crime.
Rewards are paid for tips that lead to the arrest
of people committing illegal criminal activity, and to date
CrimeStoppers statistics show a conviction rate of some 95 percent.
Most jurisdictions,
with CrimeStoppers, utilize an independent board to determine how
much a caller should receive as the reward.
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