People who partner with CrimeStoppers make a big difference in the ongoing efforts in our community to prevent crime and bring criminals to justice.
One way people partner with CrimeStoppers is through sharing information anonymously about crimes or fugitives. A case in point:
It was Monday, June 4, this year - a sunny but unseasonably cool day. A cold front had moved in from the northwest. That day a
U.S. Postal Service carrier was on
her normal route and had parked her delivery truck. Twice over the next hour
surveillance cameras captured a man stealing mail from that truck.
The video footage was quickly released to the public. Two days later
CrimeStoppers received a tip identifying the person in the video. The Shelby County
Sheriff's Office and investigators from the U.S. Post Office collaborated and
positively identified a suspect. The man was arrested and charged with two counts
of burglary of a motor vehicle and with government records tampering.
According to CrimeStoppers Executive Director E. Winslow (Buddy) Chapman, a second way to partner with the organization is through a donation.
This time of year, CrimeStoppers does a bulk-mail contact with people in the
community who have helped out in this way in the past. It's easy to make a donation
online.
Many people don't realize that CrimeStoppers, as an independent and nonprofit organization, does not receive direct tax dollars. That means support from individuals, corporations and foundations are vital to the work CrimeStoppers and its partners do every day.