april 2015 - Crime Stoppers Association Of Washington
Transcription
april 2015 - Crime Stoppers Association Of Washington
APRIL 2015 1 Chairman’s Message 2-3 Crime Stoppers USA Financial Corner 4-7 Sidebar with the Judge 8 CSUSA Training Conference Topics & Special Notice 9-12 Texas Crime Stoppers News 13 Las Vegas Violent Crimes Conference 14-17 Georgia Crime Stoppers News 18 Florida News 19 Indiana Web Tips 20 Indiana Wish TV 21-22 Sustaining and Surviving in a Digital Age 23 Tennessee Golf Tournament 24 It Is, Indeed, a Small World 25-26 Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers 27 Mugshot Mixer to Help Corpus Christi, Texas Crime Stoppers 28 Hawaii Crime Stoppers News 28-29 Thank You Letters Initiative 30 Press Release for CSUSA 31 CSUSA Editor’s Note 32-33 Officer Down Memorial Page Chairman John Lamb Crime Stoppers of Bartlesville/Washing ton County Bartlesville, OK jlamb@crimestoppers usa.com Past Chairman Secretary Chris Cameron Kent County Silent Observer Grand Rapids, MI ccameron@crimestopp ersusa.com Published By: K. Scott Abrams Crime Stoppers of Racine County Racine, WI sabrams@crimestopper susa.com Crime Stoppers USA 207 N. 2nd St. Muskogee, OK 74401 800-245-0009 Fax (918) 683-3355 www.crimestoppersus a.com Treasurer Editors: James Chambers Roseville Community Crime Stoppers, Inc. Roseville, CA jchambers@crimestopp ersusa.com Charlie Taraboletti, Chair Estela Quintanilla Committee: K. Scott Abrams Chris Cameron Laura Wickizer The informer is the official publication of Crime stoppers USA (CSUSA). It is published as a service to Crime Stoppers programs, law enforcement, valued partners and sponsors as well as other interested and/or involved entities. Reproduction for profit in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without the express permission in writing to CSUSA beforehand. Unless otherwise indicated, the content of columnists and contributors reflect the opinions of the respective writers and not necessarily the opinions of CSUSA, or its officers or board of directors. All rights are reserved-CSUSA. Known breaches must be reported to the Newsletter Editor immediately From The Pioneer of Tip Management Software Public Police Private Sector Working Together to Solve & Prevent Crime • Industry Leading Features • Personal Customer Service • Prompt Professional Support Proudly Supporting Anderson Software is back… with P3 Global Intelligence • A fresh new approach to cloud-based tip acquisition & management with new and exciting industry leading features. • Modules to manage your Wanted Fugitives, Unsolved Crimes, Missing Persons, Featured Crimes, News and Events for web and mobile display. • Easily manage tips received via phone, web and mobile app. • A privately branded mobile app featuring the above items along with tip submission and 2-way dialogue. • Fully manage your tips via pc or tablet – and even perform most administrative functions on your smartphone. • All updates to a tip are done to the original tip regardless of the source of additional information. • • Seamless & immediate exchange & sharing of tips without the traditional push/pull E-transfer routines. All recipients access, view and update the status and disposition of tips online. • Enhanced logging of all transactions at the tip level. • Content alerts based on keyword watch-lists along with notices on pre-existing names and addresses. • New dashboard view and extensive reporting and graphing capabilities. • New enhanced communications between the programs, call centers and recipients at the tip level. • • Multi-language capable for global use. Seamless integration with the Raids Online/LexisNexis crime map for receiving tip submissions on mapped crimes. WWW.P3INTEL.COM - 936.569.0447 Message from the Chairman This year is lining up to great one for Crime Stoppers and our Spring has finally arrived andbe in a 2015 Crime Stoppers USA has much toUSA celebrate as our training conference in Atlanta is lining to be better than ever. programs members. We have several newupprograms starting andThere the are Comanche rejoining CSUSA that have not beenStoppers members program for several in years haveWe commented Nation became a new Crime latewhich 2014. are also on the excellent training. Each year, the number of people attending the conference grows and getting the word out about Crime Stoppers USA nationally. the conference this year is looking to be even better with training for both civilian and law enforcement. Make plans to attend. Registration is on the front page of the website, www. Last year we entered into an agreement with the television show Cold crimestoppersusa.com. Justice, and we received an increase in name recognition. We have Online education classes are being produced for the membership and we are progressing with entered an agreement with the new Network, ThePoint Justice the Crime into Stoppers Educational Institute with our Television corporate partner, Cardinal Strategies. Network, which went live on January 20th. In the initial areas their CSUSA’s first attempt at getting legislation passed in Washington DC to benefit our member programs is going well with support network is aired, it is making available to Crime Stopper USA programs free thirty second public increasing from members of Congress. We had over 1800 letters in support of our initiative sent to different Congressmen and service announcements airing wanted andcitizens unsolved cases sent to the Senators. The letters were sentevery in from hour those involved with Crimefugitives Stoppers and who are not members. network by area programs. When the network comes to your area, programs will receive an We are still working with the US Treasury Department and the DOJ to allow our member programs to request asset email from us advising you to please contact them. So, please make sure your email addresses forfeiture money when a tip leads to a cash recovery. So far, everyone we have spoken to in Washington is in favor of are up date in the this. But,tothe details havedatabase. to be worked out. Special thanks are given to Troy Daniels and K. Scott Abrams for their hard work on this endeavor. Also, I am truly grateful that CSUSA was fortunate to be able to work with Richard Menzi, our Legislative Washington He has helped doors and helped get As you know we have been working with Liaison, severalinagencies in DC. Washington DC open to facilitate the word out about your programs in Washington! communication between Crime Stoppers and those agencies in matters of national security. Every Crime Stoppers USA program has theendeavor possibility of member a tip coming in that havewith an the Justice Our newest for our programs is ourcould agreement Network. Member programs have been signingtimes. up nationwide (in the broadcast impact on the rest of the country. This has already happened multiple We hope to have areas) with the Justice Network for free 30 second spots on wanted fugitives MOU’s in place in the next few months with several of the agencies. and unsolved crimes in their areas. This program started three months ago and has resulted in the arrest of several who were wanted by law enforcement. The We have also been meeting withJustice members of will Congress the Senate on funding Network be at ourand conference in Atlanta. You willmechanisms all have a chance to with them about your program.be an email coming from me in for Crime Stoppers USA and our speak programs. There will probably At thenear US Treasury ¬Press the futureDepartment asking you to contact your Congressman/Congresswoman about this funding. Room, Pictured L-R –Troy Daniels, John Crime Stoppers USA is also working on MOU’s with the Department of Homeland Please keep your eyes open for my email. willand need yourexcellent assistance. Security and We the FBI we have relations with the United States Lamb, Kevin Anderson (Andersoft), Marshals Service. We are currently waiting to see who will replace Jim Schield Richard Menzi and K. Scott Abrams. (USMS Retired) as our liaison to the CSUSA Board. Part of the discussions with the FBI and DHS has been to make sure that you, CSUSA Programs, receive feedback from federal law enforcement when John D. Lamb your tip leads to an arrest or has been deemed useful in an ongoing investigation. Both the FBI and DHS have been very Chairman helpful in working this out. Crime Stoppers of the United States of America, Inc. Crime Stoppers USA has recently approved an agreement with ADT to benefit our member programs in fundraising. There will soon be information coming out to your programs and on the CSUSA website. This will be a voluntary program, but our goal is to look for ways for your programs to raise money. On a different note, I and the others on the board have heard and have had to deal with the issues regarding Tipsoft software. Because of the critical nature of the tip taking software to our Crime Stoppers programs, on behalf of our programs, we have spoken with Public Engines about the periodic outages that still happen. I have been told by the President of Public Engines that it has been fixed. But, outages are still occurring. Recently, Public Engines (Tipsoft) was sold to Motorola Solutions. I have had a short discussion with some people at Motorola Solutions and sent an email with questions on April 8th but have received no reply as of this time. In my phone conversations, I have been told that there was to be no price increase, but at the same time, I have been hearing from programs that prices have increased. I have also advised Motorola Solutions that the data in the system belongs to each program, and I have asked who programs should contact in order to get a copy of your data. Again, I have not received a reply as of this time. Because of these outage issues and the lack of communication to our member programs, CSUSA has been exploring alternative methods to stabilize the situation. Please be assured that we are watching this situation and will keep you informed. Many thanks go to Barb Bergin with the Central Florida Crimeline in Orlando for constantly monitoring the software. Again, the Crime Stoppers USA Training Conference in Atlanta is going to be fantastic, and I look forward to seeing you all there. John D. Lamb Chairman 1 Crime Stoppers USA $Financial$ Corner By K. Scott Abrams, CPA, CGMA, FHFMA Telling the Crime Stoppers Story Everyone loves to hear a good story. As for me, I love listening to National Public Radio on a Saturday evening with Garrison Keillor on the Prairie Home Companion spin a yarn on just about any topic. However, my favorite Garrison Keillor stories are his tales about Lake Wobegon, the little town that time forgot. With that in mind, how do we best formulate a story for Crime Stoppers? Crime Stoppers has a story to tell whether it be with your local program, your state association or through Crime Stoppers USA. First, people want to know what Crime Stoppers is, what it does for the community and how it has performed. It continues to amaze us that we can go into our communities where Crime Stoppers programs have existed for years and yet many members of the community don’t realize a Crime Stoppers program exists or how it works. This is a continuing public relations dilemma that local Crime Stoppers programs need to address in getting out in front of their community as much as possible through the print media, radio, television and now more than ever, social media. There’s an old axiom or saying: there are three things we can do to improve our community awareness - Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate! This can also come through different venues as well within the community, perhaps presenting at a local service organization. In some cases, this is a great way also to invite and recruit new board members as well. The point is to take every opportunity your organization can to promote itself throughout the community. It might be at a law enforcement fair or it might be at a fundraising event. Whatever it is, make sure you take the opportunity to share the Crime Stoppers mission and how we improve our community! However, one of the most important aspects we need to convey to the media, to our communities and even to ourselves is how effective our local Crime Stoppers programs have been. The primary element of our success is our statistics. Think of this as sort of the punch line of a joke; without it, there is no conclusion. It is sort of like starting a sentence, but not completing it. The Crime Stoppers punchline and the end of our sentence are amazing! For example, solving close to 1 million 2 cases since 1976 is a huge a statement as to the accomplishments of Crime Stoppers! Paying out over $100 million in rewards is astounding! In order to share a success, we need all the local Crime Stoppers programs to share their statistics on a regular basis. As you may recall, it is the responsibility of each local Crime Stoppers program to ensure their program is up-to-date and that the statistics are entered on at least a quarterly basis in the Crime Stoppers USA database. How do you do this? Quite simply, go to the Crime Stoppers USA website at www.crimestoppersusa.com, go to the upper right-hand corner on the homepage and click on the blue box, ‘Member Login.’ This will take you to the login page where you enter your username and password. (Hint, your username is your program number). If you don’t remember your program number and/or program password, please send us an email at [email protected] and we will send it to you. You may be asking, what does this have to do with finance? Well, everybody likes a success story. Everyone wants to be with a winner. Crime Stoppers is a huge success story and a proven winner in communities throughout the United States. When we are able to tell our successful and winning story, people will be willing to fund the charitable organization. Remember, you can’t accomplish your mission if you don’t have funding. One way to assist is to keep your local Crime Stoppers programs statistics up-to-date so whenever anyone asks how we are doing, we have the information at hand to tell our success story. And, as Garrison Keillor says at the end of each week’s segment of Lake Wobegon, ‘that’s the latest news from the little town where all the women are strong, all the men are goodlooking and all the children are above average!’ Well, Crime Stoppers is way above average! 3 SIDEBAR with the Judge by Judge Richard W. Carter, Retired CSUSA Director of Legal Services Federal Regulation of Cash Transactions Effect Upon Rewards Crime Stoppers USA is taking a closer look at how federal banking regulations (such as IRS Form 8300) are being applied to cash rewards paid by Crime Stoppers organizations whether for Crime Stoppers rewards or for private rewards being managed and paid for with funds from third parties. Increased scrutiny and application has been seen in recent months as Homeland Security activities and review of the Patriot Act by Congress transpires. If your Crime Stoppers organization has received any notices from its bank, bank regulators, or other governmental authorities regarding larger cash rewards, your taking the time to share such with CSUSA’s Director of Legal Services will be very much appreciated. CSUSA can use the information to assist us in advising our member programs, and possibly seeking remedial federal legislation or amendments to current regulations to exempt Crime Stoppers from any type of reporting which thwarts Crime Stoppers operations or puts Crime Stoppers tipsters at risk. Update on the Tip that Was Eaten at the Courthouse In the case of Richard Masten vs. The State of Florida, et al, the Third District Court of Appeals for the State of Florida, in its opinion Filed March 20, 2015, ruled that the judge who found Dick Masten in contempt of court for eating a sheet of paper containing the name of a Crime Stoppers tipster is now disqualified from involvement in the contempt matter. The appellate court found Masten’s petition for a Writ of Prohibition sufficient to require the trial judge’s recusal because the trial judge engaged in unethical emails which were ex parte 4 communications in her efforts to impose contempt on Masten. The trial judge did everything possible to deny Masten a stay of his sentence, and to furthermore charge him with a violation of his probation which he was appealing. So what does this mean? Another judge will take the place of Circuit Court Judge Victoria R. Brennan. In the meantime, our dear friend Richard Masten who was referred to in the opinion as a “misbehaving litigant” who “acts in open and obvious contempt of the court” by appellate justices Salter, Fernandez and Logue, will be planning his next move. Don’t count him out. He is a formidable opponent as Circuit Judge Brennan has learned the hard way. Discoverability of Crime Stoppers Communications Under Brady Decision Most, if not all states, have enacted legislation to implement the fundamental fairness required by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brady decision. In the State of Texas, the Legislature has enacted the Michael Morton Act to give effect to the decision. Below is an example of the on-going discussion as to how prosecuting attorneys are looking at Crime Stoppers communications as possible evidence that must be given to a criminal defendant. “Dear Diana, Thank you for sending me the question regarding the applicability of the Michael Morton Act (SB 1611, amending C.C.P. article 39.14) to communications/information sent to Crime Stoppers pursuant to Chapter 414 of the Texas Government Code. I have also voluntarily completed the on-line training on the Michael Morton Act through the Texas District & County Attorneys Association. While I could, and probably should conduct training on this for those working with Crime Stoppers, in a nutshell my comments are: 1. The Act not only applies to "evidence", but to "information", which is or could be of an exculpatory nature. 2. Information provided to Crime Stoppers is considered to be "confidential" and "privileged" under Chapter 414 of the Texas Government Code, unless a person follows the statutory procedures outlined in Chapter 414 to obtain such information. 3. Most, if not all, Crime Stoppers programs are owned and operated by Texas non-profit corporations which are also classified as 501(c)(3) charitable organizations by the Internal Revenue Service. They are private legal entities and are not governmental bodies. 4. Crime Stoppers is not subject to the control of governmental agencies other than the general statutory regulation by the Secretary of State and possibly the Comptroller of Public Accounts. 5. Neither a prosecuting attorney, nor a law enforcement officer, has the statutory authority, without a court order, to demand or to take Crime Stoppers privileged communications and information and give it to a court, a criminal defendant, or a third party. 6. Crime Stoppers information which has already been shared with law enforcement agencies/officers may or may not be considered to be within the possession and control of the agency/officer. If it is still 5 subject to the control of the Crime Stoppers Corporation, it arguably should not be disclosed to other parties without the consent of the Crime Stoppers Corporation which owns the communication or information. Any existing contracts, Memoranda of Understanding, Standing Operating Procedures, etc. may be dispositive of such questions. 7. With the exception of Crime Stoppers information which may show that someone other than the criminal defendant committed a certain crime, the vast majority of the information received, possessed and controlled by Crime Stoppers is inculpatory rather than exculpatory. Sincerely, Judge Richard W. Carter (Ret.) Director of Legal Services Crime Stoppers USA P O Box 171448 Arlington, TX 76003 [email protected] Former Crime Stoppers International: Director, Secretary, General Counsel & Executive Director Former Chair of Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council (now "Texas Crime Stoppers Council") Current President of MCA Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) charity supporting Crime Stoppers training -----Original Message----From: Diana Dukes To: Judge Carter Sent: Mon, Apr 6, 2015 1:48 pm Subject: Fwd: Crime Stoppers Law Question Hi Judge - could you address the attached question for some of our officers Thanks! -Diana Dukes Executive Director Capital Area Crime Stoppers Attached Message From To Chavez, Paul Subject Date Crime Stoppers Law Question Mon, 06 Apr 2015 15:54:10 +0000 Diana Dukes Diana, The Texas Legislature passed a law in 2013 (The Michael Morton Act) that requires police officers and detectives to include all documents, video sources, etc. in case files that will be presented to the court at the conclusion of an investigation. Our violent crime supervisors were wondering if these documents should include Crime Stoppers tips in their entirety. In the past, our department complied with State Law by not including information provided in the tips in order to prevent the defendant from identifying the tipster. The information would be saved in our secured databases and would potentially be given to the court if the judge asked to see the documents during the discovery process. Do you have a contact with a Texas-based Crime Stoppers legislative specialist (or attorney) that could clarify what the law requires the police department to do in regards to providing information within the tips? 6 SPO Paul Chavez #5158 Austin Police Department Tactical Intelligence Unit USMS Lone Star Fugitive Task Force The Michael Morton Act: Texas Senate Bill 1611[edit] On May 16, 2013, Governor of Texas Rick Perry signed Texas Senate Bill 1611, also called the Michael Morton Act, into law. The Act is designed to ensure a more open discovery process. The bill's open file policy removes barriers for accessing evidence. Morton was present for the signing of the bill, which became law on January 1, 2014. [20] Micahel Morton Act APD Requirements: The Michael Morton Act has greatly increased the amount of reports and evidence subject to automatic discovery as well as sped up the time we have to turn over evidence and reports to the prosecutor. APD formed a committee to identify how the Michael Morton Act will impact department operations and met with prosecutors from the Travis, Williamson, and Hayes County DA and county attorney’s offices. The recommendations from the committee are as follows: All case jackets should be in electronic form the Versadex report should have all forms, letters, audio files, and other appropriate material scanned and attached to the report All evidence must be turned in as evidence. This includes items such as pictures not uploaded to DCSMS, video from sources other than DMAV, letters, statements, and any other item that could be considered evidence in the guilt OR innocence of the suspect that APD collects. All direct files cases must have the appropriate unit check and make sure all of the above is done Note: Additional items such as 911 calls, video from other sources, Victim Compensation Forms etc. if they exist are considered evidence. Also, evidence that comes in at a later date must be appropriately handled and turned over to the prosecutor. Example: A Domestic Violence Detective finishes a case, arrests a suspect and sends the information to a prosecutor. Sometime before trial, a letter from the suspect to the victim is turned in by the victim. This letter will need to be scanned into Versadex, turned in as evidence, and this information must be communicated to the prosecutor. st The Michael Morton Act went into effect January 1 and the department must comply. Also, I wanted to thank Cmdr. Cochran and Colleen Waters for the leadership they provided to the focus group in coming up with the above recommendations.” The End 7 Preview of 2015 CSUSA Training Conference Topics Join us in Atlanta for the exciting 2015 CSUSA Training Conference. Attendees will be offered the opportunity to choose between a number of courses including: Basic Crime Stoppers Board Building Finding Vetting and Recognizing Volunteers Small and Large Program Operations Best Practices for Student Crime Stoppers Finding a Successful Fund Raiser for Your Program Legal Updates Branding and Marketing Many more courses There will be specific training offered for Law Enforcement and Civilian Coordinators again this year. During the conference, you will also have a chance for ”one on one” training in the latest social media tools. Again this year, there will be a special two hour session covering Enhanced or Large Rewards. CSUSA will also make available plenty of time for networking with Crime Stopper programs from across the country. Make plans to attend to learn and share in Atlanta! Check our website for registration details and more at www.crimestoppersusa.com Important Announcement Attention all programs, the Awards Applications, as well as the Odd Number Regional Director Applications, have been sent to all known program email addresses. If any program has not received these application forms, members can access them as of today at www.crimestoppersusa.com. 8 Register for the Basic Course in April Texas Crime Stoppers will host a 16-hour Basic Crime Stoppers Course April 2324, 2015, at the Charles V. England Public Safety Training Complex on 310 College Street in Grand Prairie. This two day course is for Crime Stoppers board members, sponsors, administrators and coordinators, and will cover topics such as Operational Guidelines, Board Responsibilities, Recordkeeping, Campus Programs, TipSoft, Financial Reporting, Fundraising and Marketing. Training is from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day and includes a one hour lunch break. A room block has been reserved at the Hyatt Place Dallas/North Arlington/Grand Prairie. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for $85 per night plus tax. To make reservations call (972) 988-6800 and let them know you are with Crime Stoppers. For more information and to register for this course, click here. Crime Stoppers Legislative Day Crime Stoppers Legislative Day was a huge success thanks to the many dedicated volunteers from 16 different programs who participated. Representative Joe Pickett of El Paso, a former board member of the El Paso Crime Stoppers, and Senator Joan Huffman of Houston, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, each sponsored a resolution on behalf of Crime Stoppers. Attendees heard from various speakers, including Representative Pickett, and visited their legislator offices to spread awareness of the impact Crime Stoppers has on local communities. See the House Resolution here and the Senate Resolution here. Annual Texas' Best Campus Awards This year’s Texas’ Best Campus Awards were announced at the 20th Annual Campus Conference in McAllen. We received many talented entries this year and the judges were very impressed. Check out the winning videos on the Texas Crime Stoppers YouTube channel. To see the full list of winners, visit our website here. 9 I've Applied for a Crime Stoppers Grant...Now What? Texas Crime Stoppers administers grants to local organizations from the Crime Stoppers Assistance Fund to help offset administrative costs. The 2016 grant period opened March 13, 2015, and will close May 22, 2015. Since there are multiple steps in the grant process, Texas Crime Stoppers will host a webinar titled, eGrants Application: Post Application Timeline, on Wednesday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m. to discuss the process to finalize your grant application and the next steps to receiving a grant. To register for this webinar, click here. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Quarterly Stats Due: April 30 All certified organizations are required to submit quarterly statistical reports to the Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) by Thursday, April 30, 2015. To submit your reports, click here. For questions, contact Megan McIntire with PPRI at (979) 845-1041 or [email protected]. Due dates for quarterly stats are: Quarter One (Jan, Feb, March) due April 30, 2015 Quarter Two (April, May, June) due July 31, 2015 Quarter Three (July, Aug, Sept) due October 31, 2015 Quarter Four (Oct, Nov, Dec) due January 31, 2016 Two Captures in Two Days! The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested two fugitives from its Texas 10 Most Wanted List last week because of anonymous tipsters. James Lee Matley, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Texas Chicano Brotherhood gang member, was a violent fugitive with ties to El Paso, Victoria, Edna and South Texas areas. He had been wanted for Parole Violation (Original Offenses: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Burglary of a Habitation). For more information on Matley, please view his bulletin here. Mack Brady Meadows, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender and April's featured fugitive, is a high-risk sex offender wanted for parole violation and failure to register as a sex offender. He has ties to Beaumont and Port Arthur and criminal history of indecency with a child, enticing a child and receiving stolen property. For more information on Meadows, please view his bulletin here. 10 Exempt Organization Filing Requirements: Form 990 Due Date Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF must be filed by the 15th day of the 5th month after the end of your organization's accounting period. Thus, for a calendar year taxpayer, Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF is due May 15 of the following year. Use Form 8868 to request an automatic 3-month extension of time to file Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF and also to apply for an additional (not automatic) 3month extension if needed. Do not apply for both the automatic 3-month extension and the additional 3-month extension at the same time. For more information, visit the IRS website here. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month According to a 2014 study conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, 45 percent of Texas drivers admitted to using their mobile phones while driving. Distracted driving accidents are the highest among 16- to 24-year-old drivers. For this reason, the Texas Department of Transportation kicked off its “Talk, Text, Crash” campaign to educate young drivers about the dangers of distracted driving which coincides with the national Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April. Join the National Safety Council and others around the nation in spreading awareness of the consequences of distracted driving to your community and schools. Involve your Campus Crime Stoppers organizations and help share facts and resources available here. Social Media Survey Please help Texas Crime Stoppers understand how we can help with your local organization's social media needs by filling out this brief survey. This survey will help us implement webinars on specific social media platforms that your program would like to be a part of. To complete the survey, click here. 11 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Crime Victims’ Rights Week will be observed April 19-25, 2015, throughout the nation. This year’s theme – Engaging Communities. Empowering Victims. – emphasizes the role the community plays in supporting victims and empowering them to guide their own recovery. Local Crime Stoppers programs can participate in this national awareness week by advocating for and promoting awareness of crime victim issues. Download the Resource Guide, which includes FAQ’s, Media Tips & Tools, and Educational Resources, to plan events in your community. Dates to Remember April 19-25 - National Crime Victims' Rights Week April 23-24 - Basic Course, Grand Prairie May 18 - Council Meeting Questions regarding IRS tax-exempt Most Wanted Fugitives Most Wanted Sex Offenders Stash House Rewards Program status? Visit the IRS charities and nonprofit webpage. Online courses are available to assist nonprofit organizations stay exempt. Questions regarding nonprofit status? Visit the Secretary of State's website. Contact the Secretary of State's Office at (512) 463-5555 or [email protected]. Next Council Meeting: May 18, 2015 Conroe Contact your council members here. Texas Crime Stoppers Program Directory Click here to update your program contact information. Follow Us! Have Questions? Contact the Texas Crime Stoppers Team at (512) 463-1919 or send us an email here. 12 Violent Crime Conference This year’s conference will be held in Las Vegas and all Crime Stoppers USA members will receive a $50.00 discount on registration. The code is CS-50. Upon registration, members will also receive a discount on their hotel room at New York, New York Hotel and Casino. 13 CSGA NEWSLETTER DECEMBER —F EBRUARY 2015 30 ARRESTS MADE 65 CHARGES FILED 604 TIPS WERE RECEIV ED 19 FUGITIVES APPREHENDED 14 WWW.CRIMESTOPPERSATLANTA.ORG The CSGA website is in the process of being upgraded! Here is a sneak peak of the home page! 15 Donta Willis arrest, January 2015, federal weapons charges Donta Willis was arrested in January 2015 on federal weapons charges, after being on the run for several months. Willis was originally arrested in October 2014. At that time, Willis was in possession of two stolen guns, an APD police badge, a Taser, a ballistic police vest, gloves, and a mask. He was released on bond and federal charges were later filed. When United States Marshals went to arrest him after charges were filed, Willis was no longer living at his previously listed address. Thanks to a Crime Stoppers tip, U.S. Marshals and Atlanta Police were able to locate Willis and arrest him. Because of Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta, one more dangerous criminal is off the streets. Daniel Johnson arrest, December 2014, two Wells Fargo robberies Thanks to a Crime Stoppers tip, the Atlanta Police Department was able to identify and arrest Daniel Johnson, who is charged with committing two robberies at the same downtown Atlanta bank over the past three years. In the afternoon of August 25, 2014, a downtown Atlanta Wells Fargo bank was robbed. The suspect handed the teller a note and demanded money, then fled on foot with the stolen money. The same male suspect is believed to have robbed the same Wells Fargo approximately three years prior, on April 15, 2011. During that incident, he also handed the teller a note, then fled on foot with the cash. That case had since gone cold. An anonymous tip about the August 2014 robbery led investigators to Daniel Johnson, and also helped them connect him to the 2011 robbery. 16 The Justice Network launched in Atlanta on January 20th, 2015. The Network can be seen on 11Alive’s digital sub channel 11.3. It features more than 500 hours of crime-related television and has begun to highlight some of CSGA’s most wanted fugitives. 17 Florida News P.O. Box 36235 Panama City, FL 32412 785-TIPS Text “pctips” CRIMES (27437) 2015 - Issue 002 SCAM ALERTS Beware IRS Phone Call and Email Scams The IRS recently issued another strong warning for consumers to guard against sophisticated and aggressive phone and email scams targeting taxpayers. Remember that the IRS does not communicate via phone or email and always issues a written notification of taxes due via U.S. mail. Bill Kinsaul Clerk of the Court The Black Box - BUSTED Feb 2015 Tip Calls 55 Arrests 5 ANDERSON, RONALD Jan - Dec Tip Calls 127 Arrests 8 HOW MANY CRIMES DO WE NEED TO KEEP SOMEONE IN? The Bay County Sheriff’s Office issued a Scam Alert today. Several complaints have been received on a new scam involving text messages supposedly sent by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).Scammers are sending text messages informing intended victims their driver’s license has expired and offering to assist in obtaining a new license. Further instructions request the victim to send their social security number, address, and date of birth in a return text. Additional requests have been made for payment for this service.Never send personal information over a text or email or phone call. The DMV will not contact anyone by text, email, or phone call. Dennis Kiah, Lynn Havens Assistant Chief, is retiring as of 3/31. Dennis has been very active in Crime Stoppers for many years. A celebration of Dennis’ career will be held on the 17th of March from 11am-2pm at the Lynn Haven Police Department. 108 E. 9th St. behind City Hall . Crime Stoppers appreciates his many years of support. Come out and help celebrate his service & retirement. FDLE Special Agent Fred Harden (Tampa) has asked for our help in getting the word out on Inmate Harry Dana Braswell, Jr. who escaped from Sumter Correctional in 1983. Braswell had served 8 years of a life term for murder when he escaped. He remains at large 18 How Do You Handle This? Panama City Beach is gearing up for the annual onslaught of spring breakers. The Bay County Sheriff's Office and the Panama City Beach Police Department have extra money in their budgets to cover anticipated over-time costs of additional spring break patrols. The sheriff's office says it expends about 7,600 man-hours on a normal week at the beach. That number of man-hours triples during spring break. Major Tommy Ford says that law enforcement resources are stretched every year during spring break. Along with allotting overtime for officers during spring break, the agencies are enlisting officers from nearby areas and using a mobile booking facility to save time required to transport those arrested to the county's central booking center. The Sheriff's office will also have from eight to twelve additional officers on the beach at all times. "We are going to do everything we can do. We are going to certainly accommodate folks that are here on vacation to have a good time, but we are also made arrangements to accommodate those that don't want to behave in our house as though they were in their house,” said Sheriff Mckeithen. The sheriff said their officers will be cracking down on vehicles parked overnight in retail parking lots, and those cars could be towed. The portable jail will save officers hours of time by booking prisoners at the beach instead for the county jail. Crime Stoppers Legislation Advances The 63 counties, which Crime Stoppers programs serve throughout the state of Florida, rely heavily on the use of promotional items to increase public awareness regarding unsolved crimes, wanted fugitives, and information as to how to submit tips anonymously. Without these changes, programs will lose the ability to use trust fund dollars for this purpose was the original intent of the trust fund’s creation. These changes will have no fiscal impact on the state as the funds are not tax-based revenue, but rather court costs on criminal cases assessed in local courts. HB193, filed by Representative Broxson, and a companion bill, SB 164, filed by Senator Evers, are both passing through the committee process. SB164 recently passed the Criminal Justice Subcommittee with 4 yea votes and o nay votesThis was final action for this committee. Strong support has been received for these bills. The purpose of Panhandle Crime Stoppers, Inc. shall be to assist Law Enforcement Agencies with information on Unsolved Crimes, Wanted Persons, and other Criminal Activity that has been unavailable through normal investigative methods; to assist students through Campus Crime Stopper Programs; to promote Community involvement in ALL aspects of Law Enforcement; to promote Community Offensive against Crime; to motivate the Public to cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies; and to reward such cooperation. Panhandle Crime Stoppers, Inc. makes available to Law Enforcement support in the form of Program Flyers, Crime Scene Tape, Wanted Fugitive Ads, Posters, Billboards, etc. SNEAK PREVIEW We are proud to present a sneak preview of the video that will be shown in schools Crime Stoppers Seeks Federal Funds John Lamb, Crime Stoppers USA president, has requested, on behalf of Crime Stoppers USA, that this language be included in the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE $5,000,000 to support or reimburse program costs of Crime Stoppers programs and initiatives, of which at least $200,000 is for providing training, legal advice, and assistance forming local public-private partnership organizations: Provided, That to distribute these funds the Department of Justice partner only with domestic corporations with national scope including US territories, and governed by Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Crime Stoppers Overwhelmed with Web Tips after Park Attack By Laura Kennedy Published: INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana website has been able to take tips for about a year, but this is the first time the organization has seen the majority of tips on one case come through online. “We’ve never had that many web tips at one time. Literally I had to stay up all last night just to keep up,” Director of Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana Steve Dubois said. Dubois said he rarely ever sees the number of tips for one case that he’s seen this weekend, after a beating in an Indianapolis Park was taped and posted online. “We’re at 200 and counting on the tips and usually you might get four or five,” he said. And this is the first time in the program’s history that most of the tips came through a “non-voice” channel, like their website and Face Book “I would guess 95 percent of our traffic on this incident was through the web,” Dubois said. Dubois believes more tipsters chose the web in this case because the tips included data that made sense to share in an online format. “A lot of the tipsters went to great lengths to find out who had posted this video on their own,” he said. “Most of the tips included URLs, pictures, sites to go to see the video.”But he said this could also be an indicator that computer based tips are the future of crime reporting. “That’s why the web tip site came about because we realized there was this untapped resource out there and this case obviously proves it,” he said. Days after the incident in the park, Dubois is still sifting through incoming tips. So many tips have been submitted that Crime Stoppers has asked the public to stop sending them, unless there is new information. Crime Stoppers has sent most of their tips to the IMPD’s computer and digital forensic unit because they included links to Face Book pages, YouTube accounts and other forms of digital information. Dubois said he hasn’t received any information from IMPD about which, if any, of the tips have been used. No one has been arrested yet for this particular case. 19 Wishtv.com in Indy Park INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A video showing a female brutally attacking another female in Indianapolis has surfaced online. The video shows not only the attacker hitting a female, but a young child after the victims tried to walk away. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officials confirm they are aware of the video and that a detective who works on cases involving juveniles has been assigned to the case. The Cyber Crimes Unit does have a copy of the video, according to police. Police report that the attack occurred at Brookside Park on Saturday. When IMPD responded to a delayed battery report later on Saturday, the female victim told police she knew the attacker from school. It was not clear what caused the altercation. However, the female victim can be heard in the video asking her attacker what they had done to deserve the attack. IMPD officials said the suspect in the video has been arrested in connection with an unrelated incident and is now in custody. Indiana Victim’s Father Speaks Out INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Perry Bailey carried a look of frustration as he stood outside his home. Less than 48 hours ago, Bailey’s 14-year-old daughter and his 5-year-old son were viciously attacked by a teenage girl. A spectator caught the brutal beating on camera at Brookside Park and posted the attack online. Police used the images as part of the investigation. Before police could make an arrest, the teenage suspect got in a fight downtown on Saturday night. Police arrested her and charged her with disorderly conduct for the Saturday night fight. Prosecutors are trying to determine what to charge the girl with in the Brookside attack. According to Bailey, his daughter has been a victim of bullying. Bailey has reported the issues to school administrators in the past. Last year, the victim and suspect both attended George Washington Community High School. According to an IPS spokesperson, the suspect hasn’t been enrolled in IPS for about a year. Police have not determined if others that were at the Brookside Park attack should face charges in this case. Until charges are formally filed, Bailey will continue to seek justice. “I don’t feel like it is over,” said Bailey. “We won’t have closure until we have justice.” 20 Crime Stoppers, Sustaining and Surviving in a Digital Age Steve DuBois On June 24, 2014, I was standing in our program’s parking lot looking at a tornado that was headed right at our building, I only had one thought on my mind; no we are not ready for this yet! Just before it would have struck our office the tornado lifted into the sky, minutes later touching down again and adding to its damage total. This was the last of a long line of “incidents” that had spurned my board of directors to consider how to bullet proof our program. Historically many programs have been housed inside police/sheriff agencies but our program made a decision over eight years ago to move to private offices in a local Target Distribution Center. The office space is donated by Target. With the move came the need to create our own computer network and email system. Due to the lack of internet providers in the area, Target allowed us access their internet feed. They also donated computers and money to help us create our own computer network to help run the program. Fast-forward eight years and the network that had been established in our office was in desperate need of replacement. Our web site, which was controlled by our own server, had been hacked and hijacked to sell “Dr Dey Beats Headphones”. Our website had been custom built by a director who had gone on to a larger assignment within our hosting police department. With his leaving, the “routine maintenance” of the website was neglected. The first hard decision of our “Survive and Sustain” initiative was to move our web site to Anderson Software. We now had a technical staff we can call if we have web site issues. Months before our networks final meltdown, we had taken some steps to stay in business if our network failed completely. Law enforcement officers assigned to the program had their department issued laptops which had air cards that allowed them access to our tips by using Tipsoft. They used their department emails to help receive and deliver documents, pictures, and videos. This was not the best case scenario but it allowed us to continue to work. We also purchased a laptop and obtained a Verizon hotspot for our office to use as a failsafe. After our website was fixed, our next issue was our email. Our email system had been compromised by viruses to the point our email domain had been placed on a spam list. Our ability to send and receive email had been hampered by our server’s out of date software. We used an email provider but our server still controlled the incoming and outgoing email. As we continued to have issues with our network we created a series of Gmail accounts. These accounts allowed us access to the outside world once our network became nearly unusable. We slowly moved over email addresses to our g-mail accounts to allow us to continue to send out profiles to our media partners and citizens. It also allowed us to conduct the normal everyday business of our program. Our network/computer situation did not happen overnight, and it was not going to be fixed overnight. Our program’s board of directors was not blind to the program’s problems. They had allocated money (over $5,000) toward the purchase of new equipment and recruited a volunteer team to install and maintain a new network. Our network was just failing faster than our volunteer team could install and transfer data to a new server. A decision was made to bring in an outside firm to repair our network and install new equipment. A small but excellent IT company was hired; within 2 hours they had repaired our old network to allow us to access our files and data. After a long search of internet providers it was decided to use our hot spot as our internet source for our office. (There are no small business internet providers in the area of our office) This allowed faster internet speeds by not using the internet feed Target supplied. The hotspot was wired into a new server and a data transfer was completed from the old server to the new server. Very quickly we were almost aback up to speed. Three new work stations were ordered and installed. Three older workstations were updated and all work stations were given state of the art virus protection. We decided to stop hosting 21 our own email system and to go with Microsoft Office 356. This allowed us to not worry about the purchase of any Microsoft software for the new and old workstations. These moves forward only took us so far in our effort to protect our program. Our program’s entire history including bank records and taxes are stored in our new server. If Mother Nature had seen fit to slam that tornado into our offices, we would have lost untold data and information. Our program’s history and records would have been lost forever. We are now in the process of backing up our program’s server off site with a nationally known company. We plan on moving our accounting to an online product which will allow more oversight and security for our program. Our board of director’s goal is to have our program fully operational within 24 to 48 hours after a major incident at our offices. We hope to never have a fire,a chemical spill, or another tornado, but if it happens, we can now survive the incident. Even if your program is housed in a law enforcement building, Mother Nature or other elements can interfere with your resources and the ability to have the program perform its mission statement. Prepare and invest in your program now, or your program might be selling Dr. Dre Headphones from your website one day! Goals to Consider for Crime Stoppers Offices. Create a stable and safe computer network for the program and staff. Invest in the best virus software on the market; our program is using Malewarebytes. Protect the program’s history and records off site. Our program went with Carbonite. Continue to reinforce the fact that the program is a standalone nonprofit and not a division of any law enforcement agency, by having the non-profit own the computers and servers your program keeps its records on. Give greater oversight to the Board of Directors by moving accounting to an online product that gives them 24 hour access. Our program is currently transitioning to QuickBooks Online. Develop back-up email system in case your programs is compromised. Our program has a complete backup email system on Gmail. Obtain equipment to create at least one off site “virtual office” to help bring your program back on line after major incident. Our program is in the process of buying additional laptops and tablets to create virtual offices in at least 3 of our staff’s homes. A secondary list of passwords should be kept in a safe place away from the main office and the location should be known to at least one other person. If your primary staffer leaves or quits suddenly can you access all your needed accounts? If you accept in-kind services (web site construction) consider what will happen when the board member or volunteer moves on….can you maintain the web-site without the person who created it? What kind of response time can the board member or volunteer give when there is an issue? Your program is a community asset; your board must invest to keep your program up and running to help keep your community safe, one anonymous tip at a time. Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana is a regional program serving 2.1 million citizens in 17 counties with over 50 law enforcement agencies. 22 Jackson and Madison County Tennessee Tennessee Crime Stoppers announces their golf tourney to be held June 8th, 2015. Our golf tournament brings in approximately $30,000 per year. Our platinum sponsor is Modern Woodmen of America and our Gold Sponsor is West Tennessee Healthcare. 23 IT IS INDEED A SMALL WORLD Montrose Regional Crime Stoppers has only been operational for just over half a year, but it is making a difference. Last week, a Montrose Police officer informed me that a recent Crime Stoppers tip may have solved at least 4 felonies, several misdemeanors and will produce multiple arrests. Not bad for a fledgling operation! A board member told me about a book, “Beware of the Cable Guy“ by Jeff Kaye, a retired Reno Police Officer. It is dedicated to a young woman who was brutalized and murdered right here in my community of Montrose, Colorado. As a newly arrived, retired deputy and judge (both part time only), I searched for evidence in that case for Bill Masters, Sheriff of adjoining San Miguel County. As investigation later showed the suspect, David Middleton, had eluded authorities in Dade County Florida and Montrose, primarily due to his having been a former police officer himself. This serial rapist and killer then continued his reign of terror in Reno, Nevada, killing several women there as well. The book is fascinating, eye-opening, and a true crime drama. Ultimately, the Reno Police Department was able to obtain a death sentence conviction but the remarkable aspect was how it came about. Good police work had come to the end of the road when a Crime Stoppers’ (known in Reno as Secret Witness) call led them to a storage shed containing a chamber of horrors where Middleton had tortured one victim and stored gruesome trophies of others. Ultimately, the caller refused the reward but the money was used to start a scholarship fund. It is yet another true success story for Crime Stoppers. The founder of that Secret Witness program, Don Richter, posted a review of Kaye’s book that is worth quoting in part: “Police need the eyes and ears of responsible, motivated, caring citizens. Police departments are understaffed and fighting more cutbacks because of our economy. But we can help. A 5 % increase of citizen involvement in the war on crime does more than a 100% increase of hiring more police officers. Police fight crime with guns and tear gas, but all we need is a telephone. As Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Richter went on to describe Reno’s Secret Witness program as: “Just a lean, mean, crime fighting machine made up of a handful of ordinary citizens producing extraordinary results.” Time spent reading this unique book and Richter’s review was well worth it. While Middleton was never charged with the Rice murder or possibly another as well, he is on Death Row, thanks to yet another Crime Stoppers program. 24 John W. Nelson, President Montrose Regional Crime Stoppers, Inc. Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers March Stats: 337 TIPS Taken 21 Arrests 25 Cases Cleared (robbery, narcotic and fugitives) 5 Arrests from our KC Most Wanted Paper bringing total to 424 $7,021.50 in narcotics recovered (heroin and marijuana) $1,302.00 in US Currency recovered 1 Stolen 4dr Mitsubishi Gallant, black, used in a robbery recovered (value - $5,000.00) Police Foundation: On February 10, The Kansas City Police Foundation hosted its 1st annual “Call for Backup” fund raiser with keynote speaker John Walsh. Hoping to have about 200 attendees, the event attracted over 500 attendees and raised approximately $300,000.00 for the foundation. Thanks to the generosity of Atronic Alarms, one of our Crime Stoppers board members which sponsored a table, several Crime Stoppers members were able to attend. John Walsh, keynote speaker 25 Sprint Grant: We were awarded a one-time $5,000.00 grant from the Sprint Foundation for our scholastic Text-A-Tip program. Thank you to Sprint for the support! We are continuing to seek out additional funding for the program, as we attempt to expand into additional school districts; current members total 29 schools. Results include intervention in 4 suicides, recovery of a hand gun and recovery of marijuana laced gummy bears. One of our school banners at Kearney High School: 2015 Golf Tournament Our annual Bill Grigsby Memorial/Crime Stoppers Golf Classic is once again set at the exclusive Oakwood Country Club on August 10, 2015. This year’s participants will hav a team of three golfers partnered with a law enforcement VIP, a goodie bag including golf balls, a custom fit golf glove, shirt and new this year a premium Tervis tumbler pictured right. Another Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Success Story Kevin Boehm reports their program received two separate text TIPS from a local high school in regard to a female student cutting herself inside the restroom. We replied to both TIPSTERS inquiring about the specific location of the restroom. Both TIPSTERS replied, SRO’s were contacted and able to locate the female who is safely in the nurse’s office receiving treatment. The entire case was taken care of in 21 minutes! 26 Mugshot Mixer to help Corpus Christi, Texas Crime Stoppers By Mike Gillaspia CORPUS CHRISTI Corpus Christi Crime Stoppers is hosting a “Mugshot Mixer” at House of Rock (511 Starr St.) on Thursday evening, April 9th, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. The event will feature Corpus Christi Police Chief Floyd Simpson, Nueces County Sheriff Jim Kaelin and Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha. Each speaker will brief the audience on the current state of their department. For a $10 donation, guests will be "booked” at the door and given a complimentary mugshot. Appetizers and beverages included. Operated by a local volunteer board, Corpus Christi Crime Stoppers (CCCS) acts as an avenue for the citizens of Corpus Christi to report crimes anonymously, and pays cash rewards for tips that lead to the arrest of suspects and/or the recovery of stolen property or drugs. In 2014, CCCS received a total of 2,157 tips and paid $17,580 in rewards to anonymous tipsters. Since the program's establishment in 1981, CCCS has paid over $550,500 in rewards and recovered $3,949,621 worth of stolen property, proving the program works. Even though Crime Stoppers is not part of Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD), it works closely with designated CCPD officers who act as liaisons between the board, the police department, other law enforcement agencies and the media. Additionally, the board advises and financially supports local high school and middle school Campus Crime Stoppers. To submit a tip, call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS(8477) or log on to www.tipsubmit.com. 27 Hawaii Crime Stoppers News On March 27, 2015, Crime Stoppers Honolulu held its ninth annual fundraiser “Win with Crime Stoppers” which was a Las Vegas themed night. We had an attendance of 350 people and a fun night of gambling and silent auctions. Student Crime Stoppers has partnered with the local Attorney General’s Office and are doing two school presentations a week called “Keeping it Safe in Cyberspace” the focus is on the dangers of cyberbullying and sexting. Coordinator, Kim Feigenspan, of Honolulu has travelled to the outer islands, Hawaii and Kauai, and has revamped the Crime Stoppers programs. She is in the process of getting them back on track and helping them become members of Crime Stoppers USA. Crime Stoppers of Greater New Orleans Initiative By Darlene Cusanza, President and CEO Crime Stoppers of Greater New Orleans recently issued a challenge to the private and public schools in the nine parishes it covers to join them in writing letters to local law enforcement to thank them for all they do for the community. This challenge was issued by Crime Stoppers GNO President and CEO, Darlene Cusanza, at a press conference covered by all the major local television stations and newspapers. “We saw a story on the national news about a young girl in Tyler, TX, Savannah Solis, who had sent over 1,000 thank you cards to officers from Texas to New York and was challenging other young people to follow in her footsteps and do the same in their community. “We thought this was such a great idea and decided to join the “challenge” by organizing our own letter writing campaign for area schools to thank police officers.” Our Crime Stoppers program has its own Safe School hotline program and regularly makes presentations at many schools, but we do not focus on the Elementary schools. This gave us the perfect opportunity to reach this audience. Crime Stoppers GNO contacted school superintendents to ask them to participate in the challenge and within one week, had over seven school districts signing on to take the “challenge”. The initiative was mentioned at the Crime Stoppers Annual Awards Luncheon, with over 800 individuals present. Of the 800, at least 350 guests were representatives of law enforcement across the nine 28 parish area. Crime Stoppers printed thank you cards for each school that were delivered to for students to write their message. Crime Stoppers and law enforcement then plans to pick up the cards and deliver them to the law enforcement office located close to each school which will be asked to post some of the cards for the public and their officers to see. Each participating school will be given a certificate signed by both the head law enforcement official and Darlene, as well as stick on badges and pencils stating that “Crime Stoppers and Law Enforcement Matter” . Within each parish, the school which turns in the highest number of thank you cards will also win a “pizza party” compliments of Domino’s Pizza. To date, close to 200 schools have accepted the “Savannah Challenge” and Crime Stoppers GNO has delivered approximately 75,000 cards to students in the third through seventh grade who attend public, private, catholic and charter schools. “My goal is to tell as many police officers as I can that I love them, and I am thankful for all that they do for us,” said Solis. “To my heroes, I want to tell them don’t stop, don’t give up, keep fighting crime because you matter to all of us.” Solis was moved to send 200 cards to police in New York after Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were shot in their patrol car. She also made 300 more cards for police throughout Texas and visited officers in New York, Texas, London, and New Orleans. She is on a campaign to challenge her generation to say thank you to law enforcement officers across the world to change negativity directed toward police officers. Since Savannah would love to grow up to be a canine officer, Cusanza and the New Orleans Police Department Canine Unit had a special presentation for Savannah of an official Canine Officer badge. The sheriffs and police chiefs who attended the press conference were all amazed by Savannah’s poise and confidence. “Savannah’s Challenge” is a great way to teach students the importance of etiquette, civic responsibility and the art of letter writing. Savannah is a great role model for other youth and adults alike. 29 Press Release from Former Owners of Tipsoft for CSUSA Motorola Solutions Advances Smart Public Safety Innovation with PublicEngines Acquisition SCHAUMBURG, Ill. & SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Motorola Solutions has acquired PublicEngines, a privately held provider of cloud-based solutions that deliver crime analysis, predictive policing and citizen engagement capabilities for law enforcement agencies, governments and other organizations. “PublicEngines complements Motorola Solutions’ business, and we look forward to working together to leverage its strengths as a global industry leader in enhancing crime analysis and citizen engagement for public safety” “The acquisition of PublicEngines reinforces Motorola Solutions’ commitment to helping our customers implement intelligence-led strategies that deter crime and improve outcomes,” said Bob Schassler, executive vice president, Solutions and Services, Motorola Solutions. “As agencies work with an increasing amount of data from videos, photos, social media, sensors and other sources, our Smart Public Safety Solutions help harness that data to gain key intelligence and integrate it seamlessly into their operations. This helps law enforcement anticipate and respond to incidents with the best information available.” This acquisition advances Motorola Solutions’ strategy to revolutionize public safety's use of available data to gain actionable intelligence to support its mission. The combination of CommandCentral with Motorola Solutions’ situational awareness offerings will establish an unmatched platform for delivery of intelligence-led public safety capabilities. Additionally, the citizen engagement products bolster the company’s ability to help agencies openly and transparently interact with citizens to create safer and better-informed communities. “PublicEngines complements Motorola Solutions’ business, and we look forward to working together to leverage its strengths as a global industry leader in enhancing crime analysis and citizen engagement for public safety,” said William Kilmer, CEO of PublicEngines. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, PublicEngines serves more than 2,000 customers, primarily in North America. All PublicEngines capabilities are delivered as cloudbased applications, scalable to even the smallest public safety agencies. No additional hardware is required and setup typically is completed remotely in just a day. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Public Engines now is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola Solutions. 30 TELL THE REST OF US WHAT YOU’RE DOING Thanks for taking the time to read this edition of “The Informer”. The publication serves several purposes, but one of the most important purposes is to let you know about the successes of Crime Stoppers programs throughout the country that are members of Crime Stoppers USA. It doesn’t matter whether the program you represent covers a major metropolitan area or if you represent a small community or county and consider yourself fortunate to get 30 tips a year. Your board has chosen to belong to CSUSA. Your board does the same type of things other boards do. You hold fundraisers, you provide a means for the public to give law-enforcement anonymous information on crime or fugitives in your community, and you cultivate relationships with media outlets. Scholastic programs often find a unique way of motivating students to do the right thing and help make their school or their community a safer place. Please share your good ideas. Let others know about what your board does well and what is unique to your location. Send a copy of your “press clippings”, stories published online by area media, or just write something about your recent fund-raiser and attach some pictures to an e-mail. Send your information either to Charlie Taraboletti at [email protected] or to Estella Quintanilla at [email protected]. You may just see your program in a new light. 31 Officer Down Memorial Page 2015 Sergeant Sean Renfro Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, CO EOW: Saturday, January 3, 2015 Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle Patrolman Roger O'Dell Town Creek Police Department, AL EOW: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Police Officer Craig Chandler Baltimore City Police Department, MD EOW: Friday, January 9, 2015 Cause of Death: Vehicle pursuit Deputy Sheriff Rodney Condall Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, LA EOW: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Assistant Chief Carl Borderlon Ball Police Department, LA EOW: Saturday, January 10, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Detective Michael Starrett Jacksboro Police Department, TN EOW: Friday, January 30, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Corrections Officer V Christopher Davis Texas Department of Criminal Justice, TX EOW: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Trooper Nicholas Dees Oklahoma Highway Patrol, OK EOW: Saturday, January 31, 2015 Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle Corrections Officer V Eligio Garcia Texas Department of Criminal Justice, TX EOW: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Police Officer III Siegfred D. R. "Dove" Mortera Guam Police Department, GU EOW: Saturday, February 14, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Deputy Chief Steven Bonano New York City Police Department, NY EOW: Saturday, January 17, 2015 Cause of Death: 9/11 related illness Motor Officer Michael Kern Olathe Police Department, KS EOW: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Detective John Scott Stevens Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, NJ EOW: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Director of Investigations John Ballard Gorman Mississippi Gaming Commission, MS EOW: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Cause of Death: Gunfire (Accidental) Sergeant Charles Kerry Mitchum Loxley Police Department, AL EOW: Monday, January 26, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident 32 Captain Neville Stanley Kealii Colburn Honolulu Police Department, HI EOW: Monday, February 23, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Special Agent William Sheldon United States Department of Justice - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US EOW: Monday, March 2, 2015 Cause of Death: 9/11 related illness Detective Terence Avery Green Fulton County Police Department, GA EOW: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Cause of Death: Gunfire Police Officer Robert Wilson, III Philadelphia Police Department, PA EOW: Thursday, March 5, 2015 Cause of Death: Gunfire Lieutenant C. Scott Travis Bullitt County Detention Center, KY EOW: Thursday, March 5, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Police Officer Brennan Rabain Prince George's County Police Department, MD EOW: Saturday, March 7, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Deputy U.S. Marshal Josie Wells United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, US EOW: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 Cause of Death: Gunfire Deputy Sheriff Johnny Gatson Warren County Sheriff's Office, MS EOW: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Police Officer Burke Rhoads Nicholasville Police Department, KY EOW: Wednesday, March 11, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Patrolman George S. Nissen Stone Park Police Department, IL EOW: Thursday, March 12, 2015 Cause of Death: Assault Trooper Donald R. Fredenburg, Jr. New York State Police, NY EOW: Friday, March 13, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Lieutenant Richard Woods Pell City Police Department, AL EOW: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 Cause of Death: Heart attack Patrolman Adrian "Curtis" Arellano El Paso Police Department, TX EOW: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident Police Officer Alex Yazzie Navajo Division of Public Safety, TR EOW: Thursday, March 19, 2015 Cause of Death: Gunfire Police Officer Michael Johnson San Jose Police Department, CA EOW: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Cause of Death: Gunfire Trooper Trevor Casper Wisconsin State Patrol, WI EOW: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Cause of Death: Gunfire Police Officer David Lee Colley Montgomery Police Department, AL EOW: Saturday, April 4, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident Police Officer Darryl Wallace Clayton County Police Department, GA EOW: Sunday, March 15, 2015 Cause of Death: Automobile accident 33