ABOUT THE
CRIME STOPPERS PROGRAM
The first Crime Stoppers program began in
1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico as a result of the homicide of a young gas station
attendant. The detective investigating the case had exhausted all leads but was
convinced the public had the information that could assist in solving the crime.
He approached a local television station asking them to air a reenactment of the
crime. He set up an anonymous tip line and offered a reward for information leading
to an arrest. As a result, the detective received the tip that led to the arrest
of the individuals responsible for this senseless crime.
The cooperation between the media, law enforcement and the public played
an important role in establishing the first Crime Stoppers program. Today, there
are over 1200 Crime Stoppers organizations worldwide.
Crime Stoppers of Pinellas County, Inc. was formed in January of 2001
to better serve the citizens of Pinellas County in the fight against crime. The
Board of Directors is made up of a cross section of concerned citizens that meet
on a monthly basis to approve reward amounts, promote community awareness of the
program and conduct fundraisers. The Crime Stoppers Coordinator oversees the daily
program operations and coordinates the efforts of the community, law enforcement
and the media in a unified attempt to reduce crime in Pinellas County.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office employs and houses the Pinellas
Crime Stoppers Coordinator through a grant with the office of the Attorney
General Crime Stoppers Trust Fund.
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