October 9, 2007

From the Mayor’s Desk

Be a Crime Stopper

High Success rate with Crime Stoppers program

By Mayor Dan Furtado
Special to the Times

I want to tell you about a program that we in Campbell have been associated with for many years. Crime Stoppers is a partnership that includes community members, local law enforcement agencies, and the media. Information about serious criminal cases can be made anonymously to a law enforcement coordinator. If the information results in the arrest of suspect(s), then the caller is entitled to a cash reward of up to $1,000.

The mission of Crime Stoppers is to work with law enforcement and the media to help make our communities safe. Once a week, an unsolved case is presented to the public through local media outlets and citizens are urged to call a tip line with information.

The first Crime Stoppers program began in September 1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and has since spread to include over 1,000 cities and 13 countries worldwide. A group of concerned citizens formed the San Jose Crime Stoppers, Inc., a nonprofit organization, in September 1982. In August 2000, the San Jose Crime Stoppers changed their name to Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers, to better reflect the new expanded program and partnership with all of the law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County, as well as the Santa Clara District Attorney’s office, the California Highway Patrol, and the Sheriff’s Department.

The key to a successful program begins and ends with the citizens in the community, who work anonymously with local law enforcement to solve crime. The Crime Stoppers reward fund is comprised of tax-deductible donations from service groups, businesses, and private citizens collected through annual fund-raisers and individual donations. Crime Stoppers is not funded in any way by federal, state and local agencies.

The effectiveness of the program has been staggering. Over 600,000 major crimes have been solved throughout the world as a direct result of calls to Crime Stoppers. Perhaps even more impressive is the Crime Stopper’s court record. Of the 80,349 defendants tried in court on Crime Stoppers related cases nationwide, 78,470 were convicted, a 97.7% conviction rate.

Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers has been responsible for clearing nearly 700 cases since its inception in 1982. Nearly six million dollars in property has been recovered, and over five million dollars in narcotics have been seized as a result of the tips received by Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers. In 2006, almost 2000 tips were received which lead to the arrest of 143 suspects and closed 103 cases.

Campbell has participated in Crime Stoppers since 2000 and routinely requests assistance in locating information about serious crimes in our community. We appreciate this partnership and have co-hosted the last two Crime Stoppers award recognition banquets.

If you wish to leave information concerning criminal activity, call the Crime Stoppers Anonymous Tip Line (408) 947-STOP (7867).