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What Is Crime Stoppers?
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Crime Stoppers is a program which involves the public, the media, and the police in a fight against crime. It offers anonymity and cash rewards to persons who furnish information leading to the arrest and the filing of criminal charges against crime offenders and the capture of fugitives.
Anonymity overcomes fear of involvement and cash overcomes apathy.
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Who Administers The Program?
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The Crime Stoppers Board of Directors is comprised of concerned citizens of the greater La Crosse area who oversee the operation of the program.
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Is the Program a Nonprofit Organization?
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Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and is funded through donations from the public. Contributions are tax-deductible.
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How Does It Work?
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Crime Stoppers is a community program. The responsibility for establishing policy, raising funds and for controlling the amount of reward payments rests with the Board of Directors made up of involved citizens.
When a call is received by Crime Stoppers, it is logged with the date, time and a brief summary of the caller's information. Callers are furnished with a secret code number which is used in subsequent transactions.
Callers may remain anonymous, with no pressure to reveal their identity and still collect their rewards.
If the caller's information results in the arrest and the filing of a criminal charge against a suspected criminal offender or the apprehension of a fugitive, arrangements may then be made so that the person can receive his/her reward in CASH and preserve his/her anonymity.
The Board of Directors oversees the program and approves the rewards to be paid, based on information presented by the Police Coordinator.
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What is the Media Involvement?
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In order to publicize the Crime Stoppers program and maintain a high profile in the community, a specific unsolved crime is selected each month and publicized via television, radio, and/or newspapers.
Television reenactments are often filmed at the actual scene of the offense and the actors are chosen to fit the discription of the real offenders as closely as possible. Local actors from area theatre groups and school drama departments will be used in these reenactments.
The publicity keeps the public interest in Crime Stoppers at a high level and helps locate an occasional "casual" witness to the crime who did not realize he/she was actually witnessing a crime.
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