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What is Crime Stoppers?
How does it work?
How is anonymity maintained?
How can someone collect a reward
anonymously?
Who administers Crime Stoppers?
Where does the reward money come
from?
Does Crime Stoppers really work?
What can residents of Somerset
County do to help?
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What is Crime Stoppers?
- Crime Stoppers of Somerset County,
Inc. is a not-for-profit agency formed to promote
a stronger partnership between local law enforcement
agencies, the media, and the residents of this
county to combat crime and keep our streets safe. Operation
of the 1-888-577-TIPS line enables residents with
information about a crime or a wanted criminal
to share that information with law enforcement
officials anonymously, and receive a cash reward
for this information.
- With
the help of local newspapers, residents are reminded
about unsolved crimes or wanted criminals through
the “Fugitive of the Week” column.
- Crime Stoppers of Somerset
County raises the funds necessary to pay the rewards
that are posted; provides scholarship assistance
to the dedicated young men and women attending
the Somerset County Police Academy; and, through
a grant program, supports safety initiatives in
the county.
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How does it work?
Anyone who has information relating
to a crime, criminal activity, or wanted persons can
call the toll free tips line at 1-888-577-TIPS.
The Crime Stoppers operator will not ask the callers
name. The information provided will be forwarded to
the appropriate law enforcement agency. If the information
leads to an arrest and indictment, Crime Stoppers will
pay a reward.
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How is anonymity
maintained?
Each call to the Crime Stoppers TIPS
line is
assigned a confidential code number. This code number
is used during any further calls to the TIPS line and
is the sole means of identification when the reward
is collected.
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How can someone collect a
reward anonymously?
When a person is eligible to receive
a reward, arrangements are made for the individual
to collect the money at a determined location during
a specific time period. The only identification that
will be required to collect the reward is the personal
confidential code provided by the TIPS operator.
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Who administers
Crime Stoppers?
Crime Stoppers of Somerset County is administered
by a volunteer civilian Board of Directors.
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Where does the
reward money come from?
The Crime Stoppers Board of Directors raises
all the funds needed to pay the rewards and support
their other programs through public contributions.
Businesses and individuals participate in our Annual
Golf Outing and support our Annual Appeal.
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Does Crime Stoppers
really work?
The concept of Crime Stoppers originated in
Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1976. Law enforcement officers,
working to solve a crime but having few leads, appealed
to the public for assistance, and offered a reward
for any information. They guaranteed that all calls
would remain anonymous. An anonymous caller provided
an important lead and the crime was solved within two
weeks. The success of the strategy led to the formation
of Crime Stoppers organizations across the United States
and around the globe.
Crime Stoppers in our community can save
law enforcement agencies thousands of dollars each
year by putting police on the right track through calls
to 1-888-577-TIPS. Police investigators say that fear
of reprisal is one of the main reasons individuals
will not provide information related to a crime. Since
all calls to 1-888-577-TIPS are anonymous, the fear
of reprisal is removed, and police find that residents
are willing to share information they have about criminal
activity.
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What can residents
of Somerset County do to help?
- Support our programs with
a donation to Crime Stoppers of Somerset County.
You can give on-line on this website or download
the donation form and send us your contribution.
Join us at the Annual Golf Outing in September.
- Help us raise community awareness of our
programs. Invite us to make a presentation at your
club or organization or include information about
our organization in your company newsletter or community
mailings.
- Be aware of criminal activity around you
and call 1-888-577-TIPS
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