NCJ Number
104343
Date Published
1987
Length
68 pages
Annotation
A national evaluation of Crime Stoppers -- cooperative community, media, and law enforcement programs that offer cash rewards and anonymity for information that leads to the arrest of suspected criminals -- addresses program operations in theory and practice, benefits and weaknesses, and implications of this research for existing or new programs.
Abstract
Various methodologies were used, including a telephone screening survey of all known Crime Stoppers programs and a mail survey of program coordinators, board chairpersons, and media executives. Two sites were selected as case studies (Indianapolis, Ind., and Waukegan, Ill.), and site visits were made to seven other programs. The evaluation found that Crime Stoppers was a highly standardized, rapidly growing program. Enthusiasm was strong among all persons involved in the program. While numerous crimes are cleared through Crime Stoppers, their successes amount to only a small fraction of the total volume of serious crimes committed annually in most communities. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Crime Stoppers programs are able to solve certain felony cases that are unlikely to be solved through traditional investigations or devoting a reasonable amount of law enforcement resources. Other areas assessed include Crime Stoppers' impact on citizen attitudes and participation in crime prevention efforts, factors associated with program productivity, and problems with recordkeeping and measurement. Policy recommendations for law enforcement, the board of directors, and the media conclude the summary. Tables and over 30 references.