Every once in a while, you might pass a sign out on the road, asking you to call a particular telephone number if you have information about a crime being committed.
"Crime Doesn't Pay...But We Do!" the signs proclaim. They ask you to dial 973-COP-CALL with any tips.
To many, the service—which links local towns and the Morris county sheriff's CrimeStoppers to an international network of programs—is vitally important. It is designed to use the help of area citizens to solve crimes.
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"The police can't just do it themselves," said Tom Kern, Crime Stoppers of the United States chairman. For citizens who fear repercussions when reporting crimed, Crime Stoppers offers a tip line where residents can call in anonymous tips that will be reported through the program to local authorities.
Kern emphasized how important it is for citizens to know about Crime Stoppers groups in their area. Though each program is run independently, it is linked to an international network of Crime Stoppers groups that share information and resources. There are 500 programs in the United States and 1,200 worldwide. When authorities are working to apprehend fugitives who cross county, state and country lines, Crime Stoppers groups can pass along vital information to law enforcement.
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"People don't realize the network of their local Crime Stoppers, and the value," Kern said.
The Morris County CrimeStoppers program, which is one of 14 programs in New Jersey, serves half a million people and has assisted in 1,200 felony arrests and the recovery of some $200,000 in stolen property.
"I think those numbers speak for themselves," Kern said. "That's a pretty good operation."
Crime Stoppers originated in 1976 in Albuquerque, NM after a detective decided to approach a number of unsolved crimes in the area by publicizing them through local media and seeking information from civilians with the prospect of a reward for pertinent information.
The program expanded over time and, since its inception, Crime Stoppers has helped solve nearly a million crimes worldwide.
Crime Stoppers programs also offer small rewards, up to $1000, for information that leads to an arrest. Because Crime Stoppers are non-profit organizations, reward money is garnered from businesses and private donations and sponsors.
And though the rewards are paid immediately upon arrest, Kern believes that the money takes a backseat to a citizen's desire to see a criminal off the street.
"We don't believe that large rewards are necessarily why people come forward," Kern said. In fact, 30 percent of those who offer information never claim the money.
What is more powerful, said Kern, is the promise that a tipster will remain anonymous when making a call. Though it can still be difficult to convince people they are not calling directly into the police and will not have to reveal their names, Crime Stoppers' statistics mark a high success rate based on anonymous information.
Chatham Township Police Lt. George Petersen said his department occasionally receives tips through CrimeStoppers.
"There's not a lot of crime," Petersen said. "But periodically, we'll get some odd tip or something."
He said sometimes tips are forwarded to both the borough and township police departments if it is unclear where exactly a crime is taking place.
"It's been very infrequent," he said of the department receiving tips. "But it happens occasionally."
To learn more about the Morris County CrimeStoppers, visit the program's Web site at http://www.morriscrimestoppers.org/.
