ORIGIN OF CRIME STOPPERS PROGRAM

CRIME STOPPERS began in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1976. A student had been killed during a robbery and after six weeks of investigation the police had very few leads in the case. Detective Greg MacAleese arranged for a re-enactment of the crime on television hoping it would lead to someone in the community coming forward with new information. The next day a caller contacted the police department. The information provided the caller gave police a lead on two men who committed the crime. Within five days after the television reenactment first aired, the police had solved the murder.

Officer Mac Aleese was aware that crimes were going unsolved, that crimes were not reported, and that there was a general apathy toward crime. He was confronted by his wife with the comment “Why don’t you do something about it?” That comment, and the success of solving the student’s murder by appealing to the public for their help, led to the formation of the Crime Stoppers Program.

Officer MacAleese derived the name “CRIME STOPPER” from the Dick Tracey comic strip. In the comic version, the CRIME STOPPERS were a group of Junior G-Men, who helped Detective Dick Tracey solve crimes.

By mid 1977, Albuquerque could see a significant increase in its case clearance of violent crimes, as well as a decrease in their rate of occurrence.

CRIME STOPPERS places an important tool in the hands of the average concerned citizen, who either has witnessed a crime or has information about a crime that has been committed. The use of information, whether from concerned citizens or paid informants, has played a vital role in the success of police work since the earliest times. CRIME STOPPERS uses this simple method to help solve crimes: REWARD FOR INFORMATION.

Other communities, hearing of Albuquerque’s success, soon copied “CRIME STOPPERS.” They quickly discovered that the program also could be effective for them. In El Paso, Texas, a tip to CRIME STOPPERS solved a perplexing murder of a local attorney. In Atlantic County, New Jersey, the murder of a transient at a local motel was solved through a tip to their program. A rapist was arrested through a tip to Montgomery County, Maryland program and then was acquitted in court. Two weeks later, still another call led to the rapist’s re-arrest and subsequent conviction.

Today there are more than 1,000 CRIME STOPPER organizations located in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the foreign countries of Mexico, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. CRIME STOPPER tips worldwide have resulted in the clearing of over 651,000 cases, and the recovery of over 38 billion dollars and drugs and stolen property. There have been over 45 million dollars in rewards paid out.

REMEMBER: “FOR EVERY CRIME THAT IS COMMITTED THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO CAN HELP SOLVE IT”