FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT-MIAMI REGION IS
OFFERING UP TO $5,000
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION IS OFFERING UP TO $50,000
US MARSHALS OFFICE IS OFFERING UP TO $25,000
CONCERNED CITIZENS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE OFFERING UP TO $172,000
FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST
OF THE SUSPECT(S) RESPONSIBLE
UNKNOWN PERSONS LAST SEEN DRIVING
A WHITE, LATE-MODEL,
AMERICAN-MADE SEDAN WITH TINTED WINDOWS.
FL TAG/LIC #F168UJ. CONSIDER SUSPECTS ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
or CALL
954.493-TIPS (8477)
1.866.493-TIPS
(TOLL FREE)
954.493-TIPS (8477)
1.866.493-TIPS
(TOLL FREE)
The Crime Stoppers Program was
originally founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1976 by Detective
Greg MacAleese. Detective MacAleese was working a homicide and was
not getting the information needed to solve the case.
He surveyed people to find out why they would not talk with police.
His results were:
Citizens feared retaliation
Apathy
Citizens did not want to get
involved in the court system.
After some further study, Detective
MacAleese decided that he would contact a friend in the media and
ask them to conduct a reenactment of the actual crime.
He found a person who would donate $1000
in reward monies and he was offering a specific phone number to call
and REMAIN ANONYMOUS if anyone had information on the crime. Within
24 hours of the re enactment airing the case was
solved. Today there are over 1000 programs in 23 different
countries.
The Crime Stoppers program began in
Broward County in 1981. Mr. David Rush was contacted by Sheriff
Robert Butterworth to assist in finding out about a new program
called Crime Stoppers. After a brief discussion the Sheriff
convinced Mr. Rush that the program could be successful. Mr. Rush
believed it would work and he contacted a local friend in the media,
Mr. Robert Lieder of WSVN Channel 7 and asked if their station would
host the program. Mr. Lieder was a little apprehensive but went
along with the plan. Mr. Rush formed a board of directors, obtained
non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service and the program
was born. The first re enactment that aired on television was a
murder. In twenty-four hours the subject was in custody.
The Broward Sheriff's Office sponsors
the program through the donation of the program coordinator and call
takers. The program is housed at BSO headquarters. The TIPS lines
are answered by employees of the Broward Sheriff's Office. Your call
is completely anonymous, no caller I.D., we do not record voices, we
do not trace calls and WE DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME, WE NEED YOUR
INFORMATION.
When a citizen has
information about criminal activity they are encouraged to call
Crime Stoppers and report their information anonymously. A control
number is provided and the caller is instructed to check back with
the office every 60 days to ascertain the status of their
information. In addition, when a police department has a case that
needs to be brought before the public, they call the Broward County
Crime Stoppers Unit. The Unit of trained specialists arrange for a
televised reenactment or other forms of media exposure. In the
presentation, the public is asked for information about the crime
with the assurance that the caller will remain anonymous. If the tip
results in an arrest, the tipster is eligible for a monetary reward
of UP TO $1000.