Pubdate: Sun, 19 Aug 2001
Source: Times Record News (TX)
Copyright: 2001 The E.W. Scripps Co.
Contact:  http://www.trnonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/995

HELP CRIME PAY

Tips To Crime Stoppers Leaving Reward Coffers Near Empty

For the Wichita Falls Crime Stoppers, it's the best of times. And it's the 
worst of times.

The past few years have witnessed a more visible and effective presence for 
the organization that makes crime pay -- and for the tipsters who receive 
financial rewards for helping law enforcement officers do their jobs.

Crime Stoppers rewards tipsters rather handsomely for their information, as 
much as $1,000 for each narcotics tip, and thus keeps a watchful eye on 
possible wrongdoing in the Wichita Falls community.

The organization's cup runneth over with drug tips, with narcotics case 
after case being solved with the information fed to Crime Stoppers. But the 
coffers are being bled dry, in part, because of the recent surge in meth 
amphetamine production, as investigated in the Times Record News series, 
"Recipe for Ruin," earlier this summer.

Unfortunately, as the series highlighted, the tipsters have far too much 
information out there to feed Crime Stoppers.

A recent tip uncovered $96,000 in drugs and cash, and the tipster walked 
away with a substantial reward. The reward, however, wasn't skimmed off the 
top of the drugs and cash retrieved.

"We didn't see any of it, but we still gave out a $1,000 reward," program 
coordinator Melvin Joyner told the Times Record News earlier this month.

Crimes Stoppers, reported Staff Writer Christina Vance, has given nearly 
$17,000 to tipsters since January, a rate that could exceed the number of 
rewards handed out in 2000. Ironically, Crime Stoppers puts its financial 
stability in jeopardy each time another crime aided by a tip is solved.

"The fact we're paying out rewards is proof the program works. A lot of our 
rewards over the last couple of years has been these meth labs," said Paul 
Cooke, Crime Stoppers treasurer. "Nobody gets anything for it. When 
somebody is arrested and they have the cash on them, the police can seize 
that cash. It goes into law enforcement budgets, not into ours."

Because that's the way the process works, in Joyner's opinion, Crime 
Stoppers depends on the generosity of donors to carry out its mission.

Whenever we're asked what we're worried about the most in our communities, 
crime appears near the top of the list. Crime Stoppers would be an 
organization to help us attack that fear.

Consider helping Crime Stoppers replenish its coffers. For more 
information, call (940) 761-7777.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens