Video: The Importance Of Crime Stoppers

LOWNDES AND WINSTON COUNTIES, Miss. (WCBI)-Area law enforcement agencies rely heavily on the Crime Stoppers organization to help solve crimes.

It’s a valuable asset.

What law enforcement learn from a phone call helps them make arrests.

“It’s very important to have an avenue where people can call in discreetly and give information,” said Oscar Lewis, Police Chief for the Columbus Police Department.

Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh said his department would be limited if they didn’t utilize the tool.

When someone calls Winston County Crime Stoppers they talk with a dispatcher. Sheriff said the caller gives the dispatcher their name and reports the information they have on the suspected crime.

That name is not given to law enforcement but is used in case a reward is given.

As the investigation develops, if an arrest has been made from the information given during the phone call that anonomous person is given money.

“We don’t know who they are, we don’t want to know who they are. That’s an important thing to make sure antimony is so very important,” said Fred Bell, treasurer of Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers.

“The maximum we pay, unfortunately is one thousand dollars, that’s the most we’ll pay on any crime, depending on the seriousness of the crimes, like for the minor crimes, we pay no less than one hundred dollars,” said Sheriff Pugh.

Pugh said allowing people to call Winston County Crime Stoppers and keeping their name out of an investigation, along with reward money is helping his deputies lock up suspects.

“A lot of people do want the momentary compensation, and while we have a lot of people that don’t, a lot of people call in because they saw this happen and it clicked in their minds, hey, I can make that call and make a couple hundred bucks off what I just saw,”  said Sheriff Pugh.

“Now we have some people who don’t want the money and they’ll tell you up front they don’t want the money,” said Bell.

Fred Bell has been on the GTR Crime Stoppers board for 25 years, and has witnessed first hand how successful this organization is for the men and women in blue.

“So far this year we’ve had 18 arrests and we’ve given$5,800 in rewards,” said Bell.

Law enforcement use Crime Stoppers to send information to the media, which helps everyone know officers of the law are searching for a suspect.

“The media plays a big role especially when we’re looking for something in particular such as stolen vehicles, wanted persons, things of that sort,” said Sheriff Pugh.

Pugh said money given to tipsters in Winston county Crime Stoppers comes from traffic tickets.

Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers hosts at least one fundraiser a year to help with the organization maintain enough reward money.