How it Works

HOW TO GIVE A TIP AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Important: We only pay for Crime Stoppers Tips. If a tip is given to law enforcement before we are contacted, it is not considered a Crime Stoppers' tip, and a cash reward will not be paid. If a tipster makes the decision to talk to law enforcement after giving us a tip, please be advised that your anonymity may not be protected.

Click on "Submit A Tip" on this web page, or call 361-675-8477 or use the Mobile App: P3 Tips to make an Anonymous Report on a Crime or Suspicious activity. There is no record of your call on our phone bills.

You will be given a Code Number to use if you are seeking a CASH REWARD of up to $1,000.

We have a way to pay your reward without ever knowing who you are, in fact, your identify is protected by law.

Crime Stoppers relies on cooperation between the police, the media, and the general community to provide a flow of information about crime and criminals. Solving a crime is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, YOU may hold the key piece. Just call 361-675-8477 and add your information to our effort. It could lead to a reward of up to $1,000.

The Phone Call

Your call is forwarded to a special Crime Stoppers' Call Center. They take your information and forward it to our Law Enforcement Coordinator via a secure Crime Stoppers software program called P3. He than sends that tip via the P3 software to the correct law enforcement agency necessary to investigate the tip. (The Call Center will give the tipster a code number and instructions on how how to check back in on your Tip and cash reward.)

Things you should know:

Crime Stoppers will NEVER ask you for your name, phone number, address, or any other information that could identify you.
We do not record phone calls or have caller id. No one will know you called us unless you tell them.
Once you give us your tip, you will be given a code number. This is the only way Crime Stoppers can identify you.
You need to remember this number and provide it when you call back to check the status of your tip.
CRIME STOPPERS CANNOT CALL YOU with the status because we don’t ask for your phone number.
When you call back with your code number we will let you know if your tip helped law enforcement arrest or charge a felony suspect/fugitive. If it did, we will give you instructions to go to a specific bank on a certain date to pick up your cash reward. You will not be asked to show any id and the money you get does not have to be reported to anyone.
Crime Stoppers may pay cash rewards of up to $1,000 on serious crime in Lavaca County.
The only requirement is you must report your tip directly to the Crime Stoppers Tip Line.

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.

The Online WebTip

Tipsters now have the option of giving us tips online. The process is completely secure and anonymous and is a very effective and efficient means of safely communicating with us in today's world. Our WebTip process is powered by the world's leading online tip solution provider, Anderson Software.

The very unique integrated Two-Way Dialog capabilities allow the tipster to come back and provide additional information to their tip at any time, but also provides a secure means for the coordinator to ask questions or provide reward information back to the tipster through the same secure and encrypted interface.

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 offenses.

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.