By Gail A. Tierney
CCSO Public Information Officer

After months of filing paperwork for a nonprofit corporation, tapping into the leadership of community-minded citizens and exploring tip software options, Crime Stoppers of Citrus County, Inc., is organized and ready to make its debut.

Crime Stoppers provides a three-pronged approach to managing crime locally. The program relies on cooperation between the Sheriff’s Office, the media and the general community to provide a useful flow of information about fighting crime and criminals. Moreover, it overcomes two key elements that often inhibit citizen involvement: apathy and fear of retribution.

Worldwide, Crime Stoppers programs preserve the anonymity of tipsters by providing an anonymous, toll-free tips line to call or, as in Citrus County, the opportunity to text or e-mail tips privately. The bottom line: To encourage community members to volunteer vital information to law enforcement agencies, helping them to locate missing persons, apprehend criminals and recover stolen property.

The huge selling point for the program is that tipsters can remain completely anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment of a felony offender.

By punching in 1-888-ANY-TIPS (269-8477), the call is received on the Crime Stoppers tips line. Caller ID is not provided, and conversations are never recorded. Once the initial tip information is taken, it’s forwarded to the Crime Stoppers coordinator, Ken Perez, a traffic analyst with the Sheriff’s Office. He completes the tips information form, makes initial inquiries and then passes the data to the investigating officer.

Crime Stoppers of Citrus County also has the ability to receive tips online. The process, which is completely secure and anonymous, is a highly efficient and effective way of communicating safely in today's world.  Integrated two-way dialogue allows tipsters to provide additional information to their tip at any time. It also provides the coordinator with a secure mechanism for asking questions or providing reward information to the tipster through the same encrypted interface.

Focus in the county’s schools will be on texting tips to Crime Stoppers, although anyone can choose this option for submitting a tip. In the subject line of the text, enter TIP433, then enter the message and send it to 274637 (CRIMES). Secure, anonymous two-way dialogue also may ensue. Upon receipt of the initial incoming message, the system will auto-reply with a confirmation containing your unique tip identity. To submit follow-up information, you need only reply.

A community-based board of directors provides direction as to the financial and promotional activities of the local program. Meeting monthly, board members evaluate arrests and decide on the size of the rewards to be paid out, up to $1,000.

Crime Stoppers of Citrus County is funded entirely by state monies, private donations from concerned citizens and businesses, plus fund-raising efforts. No tax dollars are involved in the administration of the program.

For more information about Crime Stoppers, please visit the program’s official Web site at www.crimestopperscitrus.com. Or call program coordinator Ken Perez at 352-249-2712.