The Greensboro City Council included in the 2021-2022 budget an additional $75,000 for Greensboro-Guilford Crime Stoppers program and it appears to have been money well spent.
The purpose of the increased funding was so that Crime Stoppers could increase the maximum reward it pays for tips that lead to an arrest from $2,000 to $5,000.
City Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter, who is a member of the Greensboro-Guilford Crime Stoppers board, was the chief proponent of the increased funding. She said that the amount of the reward had not been increased for decades and at the time said that she believed increasing the reward would result in more anonymous tips coming into to Crime Stoppers.
It appears that Abuzuaiter was correct. From January to September of this year when the reward was still $2,000, Crime Stoppers received one tip that led to an arrest in a homicide case.
Since the reward was increased to $5,000 in September, Crime Stoppers has received three tips that have resulted in arrests in homicide cases.
Abuzaiter said, “We’re very excited that raising the reward money has led to a definite increase in tips.”
Of course, Crime Stoppers solicits and receives tips on all kinds of criminal activity, but an increase in the number of tips on homicide cases is noteworthy.
Abuzuaiter also noted that since Greensboro-Guilford Crime Stoppers program was started in 1981, not a single anonymous tipster has been revealed. Crime Stoppers goes to great lengths to make certain that anonymous tips stay anonymous, to Crime Stoppers and to the Greensboro Police Department, and those efforts have been successful.
People who call in with a tip receive a number, and communications – including the reward if the tip results in an arrest – are associated with the number, not a name.
The original request for increased Crime Stoppers funding was for $150,000, but in order to balance the budget the amount was reduced to $75,000 a year for two years.
The City Council allocated the $75,000 for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and agreed to include an additional $75,000 for Crime Stoppers in the 2022-2023 budget.
If you have a tip regarding criminal activity, would like to remain anonymous and receive up to a $5,000 reward, the Crime Stoppers number to call is 336-373-1000.
“they” will commit the homicide to collect the $$5 k ! ! suicide by “crime stoppers”. euthanasia with benefits . ? ‘my city council can “social engineer” better than “big brother” ever’ could. BIG SISTER
Crimestoppers is a national program to provide residents a way to anonymously call in tips about criminal activity they see so it is also a preventative measure. We didn’t start this program. It has been in Greensboro/Guilford County for 40 years. Since the reward amount has increased to “up to $5,000” on Sept. 21, 2021 there has been a 31% increase in tips. Not only are past homicides being solved, there are tips from the community on activity that is criminal. Potential criminal activity continues to be a large portion of the anonymous tips.
Da Big Sis has spoken. How many of these tips are just to annoy your neighbor?