How it Works
Heartland Crime Stoppers encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy. Put simply, Crime Stoppers is a three part approach to solving the crime. Heartland Crime Stoppers relies on cooperation between the police, the media, and the general community to provide a flow of information about crime and criminals.
By guaranteeing a caller's anonymity Crime Stoppers allows the caller to give information in a positive atmosphere without the prospect of retribution. By offering cash rewards for information leading to an arrest(s), the program encourages otherwise reluctant callers to provide information.
NEW !! P3 Tips on your IPhone or Android
P3 Tips allows tipsters to submit secure and anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers on your IPhone or Android. Tipsters could receive rewards of up to $3,000 for information submitted to Crime Stoppers and nobody will ever know your identity. The app is even passwood protected on your phone, so only you can access it !
Enjoy the convenience of communicating with Heartland Crime Stoppers via your mobile device. No short code or keywords required. Auto-locate the nearest agency that you can submit to or select an agency manually. Include images and video with your tips and have fully anonymous two-way dialogue and real-time chat with the receiving agency.
To install this free app, tipsters can search for P3 Tips on the Apple App Store or Android Market.
The Phone Call
When you dial our toll free tip line at 1-800-226-TIPS, your tip information is received by a Crime Stoppers operator. There is no caller ID, and conversations are not recorded. Heartland Crime Stoppers receives the information and then passes the information to the Law Enforcement Agency covering that jurisdiction. Calls are accepted on any crime, no matter where the location!
If the information concerns information outside Polk, Hardee, and Highlands Counties, we will forward the information to the correct jurisdiction, anywhwere in the USA.
The Online WebTip
Tipsters have the option of giving us tips online. The process is completely secure and anonymous and is a very effective and efficient means of safely communicating with us in today's world. Our WebTip process is powered by the world's leading online tip solution provider, Anderson Software.
The very unique integrated Two-Way Dialog capabilities allow the tipster to come back and provide additional information to their tip at any time, but also provides a secure means for Crime Stoppers to ask questions or provide reward information back to the tipster through the same secure and encrypted interface.
Click on the "Submit-A-Tip" tab to leave an anonymous web tip.
What piece of the puzzle do you hold?
Since the start of Crime Stoppers, many calls have been received resulting in thousands of arrests and the recovery of substantial amounts of property and drugs. Calls have included information about murder, robbery, rape, assaults, drug and firearm offenses.
The piece of the puzzle you hold could be the one piece needed to solve a case. By sharing what sometimes seems to be a small piece of the puzzle, it often is that piece which brings the entire puzzle together as one large clear picture!
The success of a Crime Stoppers program cannot be purely judged on statistics. Other benefits include:
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A greater awareness in the community that there is a crime problem.
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A willingness by the community to fight back against crime if it is given the opportunity and motivation.
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Improved relationships between police, media, and the community.
Crime Stoppers is definitely here to stay. It has been accepted by police as a valid and effective investigative tool and the public. Because of the overwhelming response, Crime Stoppers has been accepted as a more palatable alternative to traditional methods of giving information.