Crimestoppers
Encyclopedia
Crime Stoppers or Crimestoppers is a program separate from the emergency telephone number
system, that allows a member of the community
to provide anonymous
information about criminal
activity. It thereby allows the person to provide crime solving assistance to the authorities without being directly involved in the investigation process. That person could also be eligible for a reward if the reported information results in an arrest
. Crime Stopper programs are operated in many communities worldwide. Crime Stoppers USA, Crimestoppers UK and Crime Stoppers Australia are part of Crime Stoppers International
.
The authorities, especially the police
, cannot solve many crimes on their own. Forensic science and investigative skills are vital, along with information from the public
. Crime Stoppers recognizes that someone other than criminals may have information about crime, and was developed to combat the public's fear of reprisals, public apathy, and a reluctance to get involved. The program provides anonymity (callers are given a code number instead of being asked for their name and calls are not traced or recorded) and pays rewards when their information leads to an arrest and/or conviction.
during July 1975 which saw the fatal shooting of a female university student working one night at a local filling station. After two weeks the police had no information when out of desperation Detective
Greg MacAleese approached the local television station requesting a reconstruction of the crime. The re-enactment offered US$
1,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of the killers.
Within 72 hours, a person called in identifying a car leaving the scene at high speed and he had noted its registration. The person calling said that he did not want to get involved so he had not called earlier.
Detective MacAleese then realized that fear and apathy were the primary reasons why the public tended not to get involved. So he helped design a system where the public could anonymously provide details of the events. This system focused on stimulating community involvement and participation, taking advantage of every possible media opportunity, especially electronic media, to publicise unsolved crimes; and offering cash rewards for information leading to an arrest and/or conviction.
Since its first chapter was officially formed in Albuquerque in 1976, Crime Stoppers in the United States has been responsible for more than half a million arrests and more than US$4 billion in recovered property.
Emergency telephone number
Many countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may...
system, that allows a member of the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
to provide anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
information about criminal
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
activity. It thereby allows the person to provide crime solving assistance to the authorities without being directly involved in the investigation process. That person could also be eligible for a reward if the reported information results in an arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
. Crime Stopper programs are operated in many communities worldwide. Crime Stoppers USA, Crimestoppers UK and Crime Stoppers Australia are part of Crime Stoppers International
Crime Stoppers International
Crime Stoppers International Foundation or CSI Foundation is an umbrella organization that aims to spread the Crimestoppers program in countries around the world. Crimestoppers is a program designed to utilize the media and other resources to entice information from the public that can facilitate...
.
The authorities, especially the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, cannot solve many crimes on their own. Forensic science and investigative skills are vital, along with information from the public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
. Crime Stoppers recognizes that someone other than criminals may have information about crime, and was developed to combat the public's fear of reprisals, public apathy, and a reluctance to get involved. The program provides anonymity (callers are given a code number instead of being asked for their name and calls are not traced or recorded) and pays rewards when their information leads to an arrest and/or conviction.
History
Crime Stoppers first began in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
during July 1975 which saw the fatal shooting of a female university student working one night at a local filling station. After two weeks the police had no information when out of desperation Detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Greg MacAleese approached the local television station requesting a reconstruction of the crime. The re-enactment offered US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of the killers.
Within 72 hours, a person called in identifying a car leaving the scene at high speed and he had noted its registration. The person calling said that he did not want to get involved so he had not called earlier.
Detective MacAleese then realized that fear and apathy were the primary reasons why the public tended not to get involved. So he helped design a system where the public could anonymously provide details of the events. This system focused on stimulating community involvement and participation, taking advantage of every possible media opportunity, especially electronic media, to publicise unsolved crimes; and offering cash rewards for information leading to an arrest and/or conviction.
Since its first chapter was officially formed in Albuquerque in 1976, Crime Stoppers in the United States has been responsible for more than half a million arrests and more than US$4 billion in recovered property.
See also
- Neighborhood watchNeighborhood watchA neighborhood watch or neighbourhood watch , also called a crime watch or neighborhood crime watch, is an organized group of citizens devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood...
- Block Parent ProgramBlock Parent ProgramThe Block Parent Program is a large, volunteer-based, child safety & crime prevention program operating across Canada. Participants in the program place signs on their homes indicating that the house is a police-screened, safe home for community members in distress, particularly children...
(Canada) - Crimestoppers UKCrimestoppers UKCrimestoppers UK is an independent crime-fighting charitable organization in the United Kingdom, based in the Wallington district of Surrey. Crimestoppers runs the 0800 555 111 phone number, allowing people to call anonymously to pass on information about crime. People can also pass on information...
- Crime Stoppers AustraliaCrime Stoppers AustraliaCrime Stoppers is a community policing initiative that commenced operation in the Australian state of Victoria in 1987, it has been operating Australia wide since 1998....