NCJ Number
215108
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 75 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2006 Pages: 8-10
Date Published
August 2006
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Concerned Reliable Citizens’ Program, an innovative program developed by the Lynchburg, VA Police Department.
Abstract
The Virginia Supreme Court decided in Harris v. Commonwealth that an anonymous tip identifying a person by location and appearance does not justify police detaining the individual to conduct a pat-down search. The Lynchburg Police Department developed the Concerned Reliable Citizens’ Program as a mechanism to allow responsible citizens to provide tips to officers about illegal activities in a way that enables officers to act on those tips. The innovative community policing program establishes confidential relationships between police officers and concerned citizens who have been through training and a voluntary criminal background check. Citizens in the program securely provide information to officers so that probable cause may be established, allowing officers to search and arrest suspects. Citizens were recruited for the program through local Neighborhood Watch programs, faith-based organizations, and civic groups. Following training and the background check, participating citizens are provided with a code name and instructions to call police when they observe criminal activities in progress. The program has met with great success and is embraced by the community. Contact information is provided. Endnotes