| News Release Drew Alexander · Summit County Sheriff |
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| For Immediate release |
Date: April 4, 2005 |
| Contact: | |
| Chris Croce clcroce@summitsheriff.com (330) 351-1471 |
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SUMMIT COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS, INC. _________________________________________________ SUMMIT COUNTY SHERIFF, DREW ALEXANDER, AND SUMMIT COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS, INC. ANNOUNCE TODAY THAT THEY ARE KICKING OFF SUMMIT COUNTY’S OFFICIAL CITIZENS REWARD PROGRAM STARTING TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2005. SUMMIT COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS, INC. IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND IS SEEKING EXEMPTION AS A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION. SUMMIT COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS INC. IS COMPRISED OF A TEN MEMBER BOARD OF DEDICATED CITIZENS WHO HAVE DONATED THEIR TIME AND EFFORTS. THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ARE:
SUMMIT COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS HAS PROJECTED THAT ITS BUDGET WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $50,000 PER YEAR. LEGISLATION WAS PASSED LAST SUMMER WHICH PERMITTED COUNTIES TO RECOGNIZE AN ORGANIZATION AS AN OFFICIAL CITIZEN REWARD PROGRAM AND TO COLLECT AN ADDITIONAL $1.00 FEE FOR ALL CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS. SUMMIT COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS, INC., IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS LEGISLATION, RECEIVES FUNDS THROUGH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CLERKS OF COURTS FROM SUMMIT COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT, AKRON MUNICIPAL COURT, BARBERTON MUNICIPAL COURT, AND CUYAHOGA FALLS MUNICIPAL COURT. THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF FUNDING FROM THIS FINE IS $12,000. THE REMAINING BUDGETARY NEEDS WILL BE MET THROUGH FUNDRAISING EFFORTS. NO SALARIES WILL BE PAID FROM THIS BUDGET. ALL MONIES COLLECTED WILL BE APPLIED TO REWARDS. THE SUMMIT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WILL OVERSEE THE DAY TO DAY OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM. ALL 27 POLICE AGENCIES WITHIN SUMMIT COUNTY ARE ELIGIBLE TO PROFILE UNSOLVED CRIMINAL CASES. A CASE IS CONSIDERED FOR PROFILE WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS UTILIZED ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOLS AND CANNOT SOLVE THE CASE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM THE PUBLIC. AFTER A CASE IS PROFILED ON TUESDAYS AT 5:00PM & 6:00PM ON ABC (CHANNEL 5), PERSONS WITH INFORMATION CAN CALL (330) 434-COPS (2677) AND LEAVE AN ANONYMOUS TIP. IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THE PERSON, THEY WILL CHOOSE A 4-DIGIT PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN). THE PERSON PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT LEADS TO AN ARREST AND INDICTMENT WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REWARD DEPENDING ON THE VALUE OF THE INFORMATION. THE BOARD WILL THEN MEET AND DETERMINE THE MONETARY VALUE OF THE TIP WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. REWARDS WILL RANGE BETWEEN $100 - $2,000. THE TIPSTER WILL CALL IN TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF THEIR TIP. IF A REWARD HAS BEEN AWARDED, THE PERSON WILL THEN BE INSTRUCTED AS TO AN UNSPECIFIED LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN RETRIEVE THEIR CASH REWARD. RETRIEVAL OF ALL REWARDS WILL BE BASED ON THE 4-DIGIT PIN NUMBER THEY PREVIOUSLY SELECTED. SUMMIT COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS, INC., IS CONFIDENT THAT THIS REWARD PROGRAM WILL BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT HAS MODELED ITSELF AFTER THE NATIONAL PROGRAM WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY. CUYAHOGA COUNTY’S CRIMESTOPPERS HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER 20 YEARS. PRESIDENT PAUL THOMARIOS STATED, “THIS IS A WAY THAT THE PUBLIC CAN ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND WE ARE PROUD OF THAT.” SHERIFF ALEXANDER STATED, “IT IS A PROVEN FACT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN THEY RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM ITS CITIZENS.”
CONTACT INFORMATION Christine Croce (330) 351-1471
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Administration
/ Operations · 53 University Ave. · Akron, Ohio 44308-1679 |
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