CrimeStoppers December 2015 Newsletter

We're finishing our 34th year

helping catch all the 'bad guys'

CrimeStoppers of Memphis and Shelby County is fast approaching its 35th year in service to the community. We were founded locally in 1981 and ever since we have been a key ingredient in the recipe for keeping citizens safe and for bringing justice when crimes occur.

As 2015 comes to a close it's worthwhile to look at exactly what CrimeStoppers is and what it isn't.

CrimeStoppers IS a an independent program - apart from the emergency 9-1-1 system, separate from other standard means of contacting law enforcement - that allows citizens to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. Here, the number to call to provide that information is 528-CASH (2274). CrimeStoppers works closely with local law enforcement agencies.

CrimeStoppers IS NOT an arm of any police department or government agency, and is not a recipient of local tax dollars.

CrimeStoppers has proven to be effective in the metro area. Two months ago, we had a record month of successful citizen tips and arrests made of criminals as a result of those tips.

To promote more tips to help police solve felony crimes, we introduced just over a year ago marketing and promotions campaign that tells citizens "You can be a crime fighter." The main reason for the slogan is to get more people to call and tell us what they know about crimes or criminals.

But even citizens without such information can be crime fighters, simply by giving a donation to CrimeStoppers. It's easy to do, either by sending a check to us at 600 Jefferson Ave., Suite 451 in the city with zip code 38105, or by making an online donation at crimestopmem.org (click on the DONATE button).

Donations are tax deductible and keep all of us going as crime fighters.

Happy holidays and happy crime fighting.

CopperStoppers was created by CrimeStoppers in collaboration with businesses to fight the theft of and illegal sales, purchases and transportation out of town of copper and other scrap metals.

Copper stripped from wiring, appliances, plumbing or electrical boxes may bring hundreds of dollars when sold, but often results in thousands of dollars in damages to homes, apartments, churches

and other facilities.

Special awards up to $1,000 are available for information leading to arrests.

Help stop the criminals - the "copperheads" - doing economic harm to our community.

Visit www.crimestopmem.org for information on how to help.

DEC EMBER

2015

We have a growing

Facebook community

It's easy to keep up with all that we're doing, including each week's spotlight on a major crime that needs citizen tips.

We focus on those through our "Crime Of The Week" feature on our main website - crimestopmem.org - and on our busy Facebook page - CrimeStoppers of Memphis and Shelby County.

Visit the Facebook page and like us or leave us a message.

Websites building

new awareness

CrimeStoppers and its various programs are explained - and the public is engaged - in various places on the internet.

The main website explains the organization's purpose, and keeps count on major cases in which police need help from citizens - www.crimestopmem.org.

A companion site helps students keep their schools safer - www.trustpays.org.

Senior citizens who are afraid or otherwise need help can find information they can use at another site - www.seniorbsafe.org.

Spanish-speaking citizens can learn about CrimeStoppers on a fourth site - www.pagoconfidencial.org.

Additionally, because the

theft of copper and other metal and appliances has become a major problem in the metro area, CrimeStoppers is building a site for its new program called Copperstoppers.

DV by the numbers

More than half of all violent crime in our greater Memphis community is DV-related, when the wide definition of domestic violence is taken into effect, including family members, roommates, and ex-intimate partners.

The total domestic violence offenses through the first eight months of 2015: 11,451.

Survey

A survey, put together by the University of Memphis Criminology Office,

over time will help show how awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence is changing. It only takes a few minutes to do the survey and the results are completely anonymous.

TAKE THE SURVEY.

Help spread the word

If you like - we hope you do! - you can help the cause against the metal thieves by liking our new Copperstoppers Facebook page. And tell your friends, co-workers and acquaintances.

While you're at it, let them know about the main CrimeStoppers Facebook page too.