• Project:Alley Cat
On april 5, 2008, The GBA Crimestoppers joined forces with the Police Dept. to clean up the areas of Beloit and South Beloit of graffiti. Over 150 citizens and CS volunteers attended. Over 37 sites in the Stateline Area were freed of the graffiti. Special thanks to Ace hardware, Economy Laundry, Sherwin Williams, Water Dragon, Paragon Screen Printing and Drevdahl Auto Body for donations to help make this event possible.

• Cruise Night 2008
CS is sponcering the 4th Annual Cruise night on September 20th in downtown Beloit. Music, entertainment, 50/50 raffle, food and beverages will be available from 12 noon until 10 p.m. Burn out pit will be open throughout the event for a minimal fee of $5.00. A family event where one can see muscle, classic, antique, and hotrods.

• $5000 grant awarded to Greater Beloit Area Crime Stoppers
October 2007 Azko Nobel awarded the GBACS a $5000 donation to be used for community purposes.Some of the money was used to sponcer rec nights at the middle schools and the Beloit Memorial High School Key Club dance.

• 2008 Crime Stoppers Coordinator
Beloit Police Chief Sam Lathrop appointed retired police officer Bob Fluegel to the coordinators postion. Bob was a police officer for 24 1/2 years and recently retired in December of 2007. Many changes have been made to the program including a cell phone which is carried 24/7. Also new, the Crime Stopper logo and information is printed on the back of all police officers business cards. The CS organization will have a record number of board members attending the state Crime Stoppers conference this month.

• National Night Out
The 25th National Night Out anniversary will be held on August 05,2008, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. This it the time when neighbors get together to know one another better and strengthen neighborhood spirit. NNO is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in and local anti-crime programs.
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How the Crime Stoppers Programs Work

Put simply it is a three part approach to solving the crime problem. Crime Stoppers relies on cooperation between the police, the media, and the general community to provide a flow of information about crime and criminals.

The Phone Call:

Calls are received at the local Crime Stoppers tips line phone. This phone is a stand alone instrument which does not provide caller ID, and conversations are not recorded. The Crime Stoppers police or civilian Coordinator receiving the information completes the tips information form, makes initial inquiries and then passes the information to the investigating officer. Calls are accepted regarding any publicized request for information, such as "Crime of the Week" or such other crime(s) the caller has knowledge of.

By guaranteeing a caller's anonymity Crime Stoppers allows the caller to give information in a positive atmosphere without the prospect of retribution. By offering cash rewards for information leading to indictment or arrests, the program encourages otherwise reluctant callers to provide information.

Structure and Funding of Crime Stoppers:

Crime Stopper Programs are organized as a not for profit organization (Charity). A civilian community board of directors provides direction as to the financial and promotional activities of the program. The board of directors enhances the community involvement aspect, and its function is vital to the programs success. The Crime Stoppers program is funded by private donations and fund raising. NO TAX DOLLARS are involved. The reward money paid out by the program is from the fund raising and donations from concerned citizens and businesses. A community board of directors, made up of persons from throughout the area, meets on a monthly basis to evaluate arrests and to decide on the size of rewards to be paid, up to $1,000. Rewards are then distributed in a private manner to the callers. Callers are eligible for rewards up to $1,000, but, despite this, many callers choose not to collect their rewards.

Does Crime Stoppers Work?

The answer is quite simply yes. Since the start of Crime Stoppers, many calls have been received resulting in thousands of arrests and recovery of substantial amounts of property. Calls have included information about murder, robbery, rape, assaults, drug and firearm offences.

The success of a Crime Stoppers program cannot be purely judged on statistics, however, other benefits have come to notice:

• A greater awareness in the community that there is a crime problem.
  
  
• A willingness by the community to fight back against crime if it is given the opportunity and motivation.
  
  
• Improved relationships between police, media, and the community.

Crime Stoppers is definitely here to stay. It has been accepted by police as a valid and effective investigative tool and the public, through its overwhelming response, appears to have accepted it as a more palatable alternative to traditional methods of giving information.

Call our 24/7 Tip Line 608-362-7463