Crime Stoppers tip line plays major role in police arrests

When a woman was shot in a house last November, police believed they knew who wounded her.

Even though officers were able to obtain warrants on the man, they could not find him, so they put information about the crime and the man they believed did it in the media. Through tips called in to Crime Stoppers, officers learned everything from where the man was to how he would react if he saw police.

“We were able to take someone off the streets quickly,” said Lt. Jeff Bauserman.

The Central Virginia Crime Stoppers line has been actively seeking tips to help local law enforcement solve crimes ranging from murders to robberies to finding fugitives since its inception 10 years ago.

Tips called in have solved 214 cases for Crime Stoppers member agencies — the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, Amherst Police Department, Altavista Police Department, Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office, Bedford Police Department, Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, Brookneal Police Department, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Lynchburg Police Department Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Liberty University Police Department.

Seven homicides have been solved using tips and 89 fugitives have been arrested.

“These are things that would not have been solved and property that would not have been recovered had it not been for witnesses calling to report the crime,” Bauserman said.

Gordon Howell, president of the Central Virginia Crime Stoppers board, said the tipline passes along the information without ever identifying the person who called it in.

The tipline comes into Lynchburg’s Emergency Communications Center to an anonymous line, Howell said. There is no caller ID or other way to trace the caller.

“It’s a method for people to be involved without getting involved,” Howell said. “We don’t know and we don’t care who these tips come from. We make every effort to make sure we don’t get their identity. We make every effort so there is no worry about retaliation.”

The Central Virginia Crime Stoppers was created in January 1998. It was an idea that retired Lynchburg Police Chief Charles Bennett brought from his former job in Richmond, Bauserman said.

When local law enforcement is not able to solve a crime immediately, that crime gets broadcast on Crime Stoppers. The information on the case is published through local media outlets and those with information on the crime can call in.

If that information leads to an arrest or recovery of property, the tipster may be eligible for a cash reward.

“There are a lot of cases that have been solved with the input of citizens in the area,” Bauserman said. “There are cases that would have gone unsolved without the input of citizens and property would not have been returned.”

All callers remain anonymous. They won’t be subpoenaed to court, Bauserman said.

Out of the 212 tips approved for a reward since the program’s inception, only 114 people ever collected the money.

Last year, Crime Stoppers approved payment of $3,100 in rewards but tipsters collected only $1,400. Bauserman said that’s normal. Almost half the rewards go unclaimed because people just want to help keep their communities safe.

“Sometimes it’s just a good venue for people to give information,” Bauserman said. “Money is a good motivator in some instances, but for some it’s their civic duty to keep the community safe and they don’t care about collecting the reward.”

Lt. Greg Turner of the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, said investigators have solved everything from property damage, to burglary to malicious woundings with the tips called in.

“It’s a tool that when you have very little in the way of leads, it helps us break cases that may not otherwise have been solved,” Turner said.

Major Ricky Gardner, of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, said it is a great tool for local law enforcement.

“Law enforcement can’t be everywhere,” Gardner said. “We have to rely on the citizenry to help. We have been able to clear numerous cases through Crime Stoppers. … It’s a great tool to assist law enforcement in putting bad guys in jail.”

Nationally, more than 1.1 million cases have been cleared using tips called in to Crime Stoppers lines.

For more information on the open cases and wanted people in Central Virginia, visit www.cvcrimestoppers.org. To report a tip, call (888) 798-5900.

For your info
Cases received
2000 - 133
2001 - 143
2002 - 188
2003 - 192
2004 - 374
2005 - 414
2006 - 332
2007 - 310
to date - 2,505
Cases solved:
2000 - 23
2001 - 16
2002 - 12
2003 - 12
2004 - 29
2005 - 30
2006 - 26
2007 - 20
to date- 214