How did Crime Stoppers come to be?

It all began back in 1976 in Albuquerque, NM. There was a crime that had been committed and the police were at a loss as to where to begin their investigation. A young officer/detective Greg MacAleese had the idea to reenact the crime and broadcast it in hopes that someone may have seen something by chance. A local television station aired the reenactment and through information received, an arrest and conviction was made. That September, the first chapter of Crime Stoppers was formed.

Many similar programs had been tried through out the country by law enforcement agencies and newspapers with little success. One of those programs was attempted right here in El Paso in 1971 by a local newspaper called "Someone Knows." These other organizations failed but the chapter in Albuquerque seemed to have the right mix of a police coordinator, an all-citizen board, and anonymous informants.

In mid 1978, Leo Samaniego along with Dwain Johnson organized a group to meet with individuals in Albuquerque so that a similar program could be organized here in El Paso. With support from the Kiwanis Club and other prominent businesspersons a chapter was formed in late 1978. The law firm of Grambling, Mounce, Sims, Galatzan, and Harris drew up the articles of Incorporation at no charge.

The first meeting of this newly formed group met at the Mutual Savings & Loan in Downtown El Paso. Making El Paso the First chapter in Texas and the SECOND chapter of Crimes Stoppers nationally. The board was created using a rotating term appointment so that every year a third of the board would be replaced. By drawing "straws" members were appointed for 1, 2, or 3 years to ensure that the board would always be rotated.

Another key to the success in the El Paso market was the 100% cooperation by all the news media. Not one individual or business was responsible for the creation and growth of Crime Stoppers. It is through the efforts of many working together that the success of Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc. will continue to flourish.

How does Crime Stoppers of El Paso operate?

Ever wondered how Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc.
operates? Have you ever questioned how anonymous
you really are if you call in a tip?

Well here is how it all works, in a brief nutshell.

You have information relative to a crime. You decide to call 566-TIPS (8477) with information. Your call is received in our office right here in El Paso but is automatically forwarded to a call center in La Porte, TX. The operator there will take all the information, enter it into a computer database and at the same time give you an ID number. DON'T lose that number. If you do, you will loose your connection to the case. Since that is the only way to identify the case, we will not be able to follow up with any other information. You can then use that number to contact our local office if you have additional information you'd like to add to the investigation.

Once our office receives the tip from the database, it will then be forwarded to the appropriate department (Police, Sheriff, Highway Patrol, School District, Detectives, etc.) who will be working that particular case. As progress is made, it will be noted to the file and you can check the status of the case by using your ID number. Once the case is solved, a board of directors will discuss the payment amount for each particular tip and award a reward amount. Once a cash reward is approved, the next time you follow-up on your tip, you will be given another unique private ID number and instructed how to receive your reward. In most cases, all you have to do is go to a prearranged bank, give the teller (in the drive through) your reward ID number on a slip of paper, and they will in turn give you your CASH reward.

Because of the use of unique ID numbers and the fact that there is no collection of personal information, it is virtually impossible to trace where the tip came from. Secondly, it is law that no persons giving a tip can be ID'd or used in a court case. Federal law protects you in order to keep your identity private. So, not even a judge can force the identification of a tips call.

It is also important to understand that Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc. is a non-profit entity and does not work for or under any law enforcement entity. We are totally independent of any and all law enforcement agencies. We do not conduct any investigation work. All we do is collect anonymous tip information and pass it along to the appropriate agency. If the tip helps solve a crime, we then pay out a reward for that information. Because we are a non-profit agency, Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc. is always in need of your support. If you'd like to send in a tax-deductible donation to help with the fight against crime, you can do so by sending in your donation to Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc. PO Box 33, El Paso, TX 79940.

Now you may ask how is Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc. is funded? We operate completely from donations and grants. Our primary funding base comes from donations from the citizens and businesses in the El Paso area. Those donations cover tip rewards, office expenses, phones, etc. NO salaries, rents, or vehicle expenses come out of our budget. We are also subsidized by assistance from the city and the El Paso Police department.

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to download our brochure in PDF format

Call our TIP LINE and earn a CASH REWARD of up to $1000

If you have information about a crime or the location of a fugitive, contact El Paso Crime Stoppers 24 hours a day, at:

915-566-TIPS (8477) or
877-566-TIPS (8477) toll-free
Your call is always anonymous.

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