DCO is pleased to welcome Crime Stoppers of Pinellas County as a new member. Our good friend and 
DCO member Alan McHale is the current Coordinator. Crime Stoppers is a community-based program involving citizens, the media and law enforcement in the fight against crime. Crime Stoppers operates on the principle that someone other than the criminal has information that can solve a crime. You can remain anonymous and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $3000 if your tip leads to an arrest.
The first Crime Stoppers program began in 1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico as a result of the Homicides of a young gas station attendant. The detective investigating the case had exhausted all leads but was convinced the public had the information that could assist in solving the crime. He approached a local television station asking them to air a reenactment of the crime. He set up an anonymous tip line and offered a reward for information leading to an arrest. As a result, the detective received the tip that led to the arrest of the individuals responsible for this senseless crime. The cooperation between the media, law enforcement and the public played an important role in establishing the first Crime Stoppers program. Today, there are over 1200 Crime Stoppers organizations worldwide.
Crime Stoppers of Pinellas County, Inc. was formed in January of 2001 to better serve the citizens of Pinellas County in the fight against crime. The Board of Directors is made up of a cross section of concerned citizens that meet on a monthly basis to approve reward amounts, promote community awareness of the program and conduct fundraisers.
The Crime Stoppers Coordinator oversees the daily program operations and coordinates the efforts of the community, law enforcement and the media in a unified attempt to reduce crime in Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office employs and houses the Pinellas Crime Stoppers Coordinator through a grant with the Office of the Attorney General Crime Stoppers Trust Fund.
When you call Crime Stoppers of Pinellas County, you NEVER have to give your name, just your information.
For more information or to submit a tip visit www.crimestoppersofpinellas.org or call 1-800-873-TIPS (8477). They also have an app for that! You can download the app from their website.