How it Works

Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers uses a three-part approach to solving crime. Crime Stoppers relies on cooperation between the police, the media, and the general community to provide a flow of information about crime and criminals.

Phone Tips

Calls received at the Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers call center are anonomous and conversations are not recorded. The call is logged with the date, time, and a summary of the information received. Callers are furnished with a secret code number, which is used in subsequent transactions. The Crime Stoppers Coordinator receives the information, reviews the tip information, and then passes the information to the appropriate investigating agency. Calls are accepted regarding any publicized request for information, such as "Crime of the Week," "Weekly Most Wanted," or such other crime(s) the caller knows of.

By guaranteeing a caller's anonymity, Crime Stoppers allows the caller to provide information in a positive manner 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.

Online WebTips - Smart Phone Tips

Tipsters also have the option of giving us tips online and by the P3 smartphone app. The process is completely secure and anonymous and is a very effective and efficient means of safely communicating with us in today's world.

The system's unique integrated Two-Way Dialog capabilities allow the tipster to return and provide additional information to their tip at any time, but also provide 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 (501 (c)(3) 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 program's success.

The Crime Stoppers program is funded by private donations and fundraising. NO TAX DOLLARS are involved. The reward money paid out by the program is secured from the fundraising and donations from concerned citizens and businesses.

A community board of directors, made up of people from throughout the area, meets monthly 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. Tipsters are eligible for rewards up to $1,000, but, despite this, many tipsters choose not to collect their rewards.

Does Crime Stoppers Work?

The answer is quite simply, Yes!. Since the start of Crime Stoppers, many tips have been received, resulting in thousands of arrests and recovery of substantial amounts of property. Tips have included information about murders, robberies, rapes, 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 providing information.