Testing Crimestoppers’ claims about protecting anonymity | #Louisiana

David Lippman

Reporter

BATON ROUGE, LA (NBC33) — While the police try different things to reduce crime,Crimestoppers gives the public a way to involve itself in law enforcement.

It promises to protect the identities of its tipsters, but there are still a lot of people who are afraid to call in, because they worry the criminals will find out and retaliate.

So I went inside Crimestoppers to find out how it works.

“We know it’s a good program,” said Don Stone, coordinator of the local Crimestoppers program, “because just about every major offense that occurs in this eight-parish area; whether it be some guy walking out of a Walmart with a big-screen TV that you see pictured in the newspaper or on one of the TV stations; or whether it be a homicide that happened, we’re gonna get a call on it.”

Nearly 2,000 people called Crimestoppers last year. Their tips led to 347 arrests on 369 felonies, and $746,080 in seized property and illegal drugs. In return, Crimestoppers paid $83,650 in cash rewards.

Stone frequently goes to schools and other community outreach events to convince people of the system’s benefits.

“But that’s their biggest fear once you explain it to them,” he said. “They’re like, ‘oh, yeah, I don’t want them to know that I called.’ Well the only way that someone’s going to know that you called the Crimestoppers program is if you tell them.”

Read more:  http://www.nbc33tv.com/