At yesterday's monthly meeting of the Polk County Police Chief's Association, Mr. Wayne Cross from Heartland Crime Stoppers paid us a visit and reminded the Chiefs in attendance how Crime Stoppers can be a useful tool in fighting crime. This tool is sometimes overlooked as a way to gather anonymous tips that can be passed along to law enforcement. Here is how the system works:
Callers can use the telephone, cell phone texting, or the web to submit anonymous tips. If your tip leads to an arrest, you can be eligible for cash rewards that are funded through grants, donations, and fines levied against convicted defendants. General Fund tax dollars are not used to pay these rewards.
It was interesting to learn that Heartland Crime Stoppers, serving Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties, consistently has the highest percentage of arrests based on tips for any other jurisdiction our size - a whopping 21%! That figure is based on 544 arrests made during the last fiscal year, or 1.5 arrests per day from Crime Stopper tips. Rewards during that same period totaled $104,500.
The key to this success is you - the public - who call, text, or via the web submit crime tips to local law enforcement agencies. Thanks for taking the time to submit your tips via Heartland Crime Stoppers. Arrests are being made, cases are being closed, and drugs are being seized in our school and neighborhoods because of your tips.
Well done everyone!
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
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