How It Works

When a citizen has information about criminal activity they are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers and report their information anonymously.  A control number is provided and the caller is instructed to check back with the office every 60 days to ascertain the status of their information.  In addition, when a police department has a case that needs to be brought before the public, they call the Broward County Crime Stoppers Unit.  The Unit of trained specialists arrange for a televised reenactment or other forms of media exposure. In the presentation, the public is asked for information about the crime with the assurance that the caller will remain anonymous.  If your tip leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward.  Rewards are collected anonymously at a local bank, so your identity is never compromised.

The Crime Stoppers Story

The Crime Stoppers Program was originally founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1976 by Detective Greg MacAleese.  Detective MacAleese was working a homicide and was not getting the information needed to solve the case.  He surveyed people to find out why they would not talk with police. His results were:

• Citizens feared retaliation
• Apathy
• Citizens did not want to get involved in the court system.

After some further study, Detective MacAleese decided that he would contact a friend in the media and ask them to conduct a reenactment of the actual crime.

He found a person who would donate $1000 in reward monies and he was offering a specific phone number to call and REMAIN ANONYMOUS if anyone had information on the crime.  Within 24 hours of the re enactment airing the case was solved.  Today there are over 1000 programs in 23 different countries.

The Broward County Crime Stoppers Story

The Crime Stoppers program began in Broward County in 1981.  Mr. David Rush was contacted by Sheriff Robert Butterworth to assist in finding out about a new program called Crime Stoppers.  After a brief discussion the Sheriff convinced Mr. Rush that the program could be successful.  Mr. Rush believed it would work and he contacted a local friend in the media, Mr. Robert Lieder of WSVN Channel 7 and asked if their station would host the program.  Mr. Lieder was a little apprehensive but went along with the plan.  Mr. Rush formed a board of directors, obtained non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service and the program was born.  The first re enactment that aired on television was a murder.  In twenty-four hours the subject was in custody.

The Broward Sheriff's Office sponsors the program through the donation of the program coordinator and call takers.  The program is housed at BSO headquarters.  The TIPS lines are answered by employees of the Broward Sheriff's Office.  Your call is completely anonymous, no caller I.D., we do not record voices, we do not trace calls and WE DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME, WE NEED YOUR INFORMATION.