The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
db Conard, The Quill
Take a bite!
The Long arm of the law is reaching out to us so that we can all help by becoming community Crime Stoppers in both large and small ways. Folks can make a difference as easily as attending a cookout.
Sheriff Mark Lumbeck emphasized the importance of the Crime Stoppers program last Friday as we visited, and how much help the program can be to law enforcement efforts.
Crime Stoppers is hosting a fish and chicken fry this coming Sunday, June 28th at 11 a.m. at the Stronghurst Park and everyone is invited. This is for everyone in Henderson County and beyond who care about safer communities.
Stronghurst is a good central point that everyone can get to. In addition, the people in Stronghurst have been practicing this cookout for a lot more than just one year and by now have worked the bugs out.
This is an event that is sponsored by your Henderson County Crime Stopper Board of Directors as their primary fundraising event of the year. This team of volunteers get nothing for their time and effort other than the satisfaction of serving their community.
Come and see if all their hard work at putting together this cookout isn't worth the trip not only for good food but also for a good cause.
So what is Crime Stoppers and why is it so important to our community?
Crime Stoppers is a program that was born in the U.S. on September 6th, 1976. It was the brainchild of a young detective in Albuquerque New Mexico who had run out of leads in a murder case. The case involving a young college student, was going to be just another unsolved crime because the investigators were out of any new information to go on.
Demonstrating the Amer-I-Can attitude, the young detective knew that the answer to solving the murder was available if he could only find a way for members of the community to come forward without fear of reprisals.
That detective did what he set out to accomplish. He not only solved the murder case, but also he started the beginnings of a much needed means for a community and a law enforcement agency to communicate and work together.
The team that makes up the Crime Stopper Program is a partnership among the community, media, and law enforcement agency.
The community part of the team is begun by citizens forming a Crime Stoppers non-profit corporation whose directors establish policy, determine the method and amount of reward payments, work closely with law enforcement personnel and the media, raise funds, and develop community volunteer programs.
The media part of the program is to support Crime Stoppers by publicizing on a regular basis using print, broadcast, and web based partners to get the word out about crime stopping news and needs. They do this with special attention going to unsolved crimes, Crimes of the Week, cold cases, narcotics activity, wanted fugitives, and suspected terrorist and gang activities.
Law enforcement is the part of the team that makes it all come together. First, they let the community know what they need help with. Second, they act upon the information that comes in through the Crime Stoppers Program. And finally, after an arrest, the law enforcement agency awards up to a thousand dollars to the citizen who have made a difference by helping fight crime.
Here are some of the national statistics that are the result of the detective's innovative idea to fight crime.
As of June 20, 2009, the Crime Stoppers Program in the USA has resulted in some impressive numbers:
Arrests Made 494, 688
Cases Cleared 823,595
Rewards Paid $74,404,730
Property Recovered $1,053,334,004
Drugs Seized $2,902,794,881
Total Recovered $3,958,128,885
Henderson Counties Crime Stoppers program began under Sheriff Mark Lumbeck in 1999 and has had an impact on crime fighting in ways that have benefited us all.
In the weeks to come, I hope to share the following:
Sunday's gathering in Stronghurst can be more than just a fundraising cookout.
It can also be a statement that demonstrates how strongly each of you are committed to working together to stop the crime that touches everyone.
It would be really something, Sunday, if more people showed up than there was food to feed them.
It would be an fantastic example of the bite out of crime the people of Henderson County are willing to take.
See you there! It's a free will donation in a safe atmosphere.
To contact CRIME STOPPERS dial 877-867-6202.
This counts as a Treasure in the Heartland because of the people working together and the low rate of crime we have in our community. It's exceptional, compared to anywhere else I can think of.
Sheriff Mark Lumbeck, who organized Henderson County Crimestoppers after his election due to a campaign promise, stands with his granddaughter Mackenzie who benefits from a lower rate of crime in our communities.