Written by Trish Routte, Coordinator Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers
It’s the news we know you don’t want to read about. Drive-bys. Shootings. Homicides. But unfortunately, it seems to be the new norm. And that simply is not acceptable.
However, peace is possible and there is a way that individuals can help make their community safer and bring the violence to an end. And it’s all anonymous. That answer is Crime Stoppers.
We are fully aware that a good number of people who are in the know about criminal activity don’t want to be seen conversing the law enforcement officers. However, anyone who has information on these acts of violence has a moral obligation to say something and report what they know. If speaking one on one with a deputy isn’t something people want to do, they can simply pick up the phone, log onto a computer or text Crime Stoppers – and nobody will ever know that they did the right thing.
The process is simple. If you have information on a crime, wanted person, etc., call 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). You’ll be asked a series of questions about the information you have and our call takers will ask questions that you may not even think are important – but could be critical during the course of a criminal investigation. At the conclusion of the call, you’ll be given a code number – and that’s the only way we’ll know who you are. We don’t record calls, we don’t have caller ID and we will NEVER ask for your name or any questions which could lead to your identification. We then pass that information along to law enforcement. If your tip leads to an arrest, we pay out rewards in cash. And it’s all by using that code number. If computers are more your thing, you can log onto www.swflcrimestoppers.org and provide a tip online. A form is provided and you can fill in the blanks with all the information you have on a particular crime or criminal activity. When you hit the submit button, your code number will be generated. With the online tip submission, you also have the opportunity to communicate back and forth with Crime Stoppers staff.
In a perfect world, we would have a deputy on every corner, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But our world isn’t perfect, which is why law enforcement counts on the community to be those extra sets of eyes and ears. We all want to live in a neighborhood that is safe, where kids can go outside and play without parents having to worry about a drive-by shooting. If you see something, say something. There are cash rewards provided for information that leads to an arrest, but at the end of the day, it’s just the right thing to do.