Crime Stoppers seeks more public support
It’s a telephone number mentioned almost every night on this newscast: 0-800-922-TIPS. That’s the home of Crime Stoppers, the programme under which citizens can help police solve crimes by calling in anonymous tips–and receive a reward if the call leads to an arrest. Today, we were visited by Chris Garcia, Crime Stoppers’ local chief operating officer, accompanied by the international project’s executive director based in Miami, Jack Sullivan. They explained that while their efforts are bearing fruit, more Belizeans need to get involved in helping law enforcement.
Jack Sullivan, Executive Director, Crime Stoppers, Miami
?Throughout the Caribbean it?s been very successful, it?s probably you know, it?s one of the most successful programmes to help law enforcement, to help the community in this area. In Belize, yes it?s been successful, it?s still in the growing stages and I look forward to a great success after the tours we?ve been through in the last couple days and the support that we?ve been indicated, that has been indicated we?re going to get from all levels of law enforcement and from the political structure also.?
Chris Garcia, Chief Operations Officer, Crime Stoppers, Belize
?To date, I would say we have about fifteen. Many of those are child abuse cases, that have recently started to come in since we have done an ad with NOPCA. I must say thanks to your TV station, we have been seeing the ads. We have a murder, the murder case in San Pedro for the security guard that was killed at Fido?s. The arrest from that case was made possible through a Crime Stoppers tip.?
Stewart Krohn
?Jack, what actually happens in Miami once someone in Belize makes that phone call to the Crime Stoppers hotline, what takes place when it rings on the other end??
Jack Sullivan
?When the phone call comes in, the caller gives us the information. At no time is the caller asked even the gender of the person they think they are talking to. So at no time is gender, name, address, phone number, or any personal information asked for, nor will we take it. If they insist on giving us the name and phone number, we refer them to the police. What happens then is they are given a control number which, if I was answering the phone it might be JS123 and they are told to call us back in thirty days to find out if there has been any results on their tip. When they call back in thirty days, say the tip has resulted in the arrest and the filing of charges, then the board meets and they decide how much the reward will be. As it would be here, the Belize board would meet and decide the amount of the tip. Then they?re told that they can go to a collection point and pick up the reward in cash, no signatures, and it?s done with.?
Garcia and Sullivan pointed out that the motivation for calling the hotline is not necessarily money, as a large number of successful tipsters never call back to arrange collection of their rewards. Again, that number is 0-800-922-TIPS.
