Crime Stoppers….42 Years Old and Still Moving Forward
by Gary Silveira, Chairperson
For those of us who have been part of the SLO County Crime Stoppers family for a long time, it’s still amazing to realize it has been in existence since 1982. The organization’s Mission Statement reads, “Crime Stoppers is a partnership of the public, police, and media which provides the community with a proactive program to anonymously assist in solving crime and contributing to an improved quality of life.” These words remain true to this day, but the way we interact with the community has changed. In the early days, the “Tip Line” was answered at the Sheriff’s Department by the on-duty Watch Commander. Now, the vast majority of tips come through an online tip submission program which allows tipsters to remain anonymous while providing details of crimes or suspicious activity in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Somali, French, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, Croatian, and Laotian. After the tip is completed and submitted, it is translated into English for dissemination to the appropriate responsible agency. Access to this form is available through the SLO County Crime Stoppers website at SLOTIPS.org, or through the free” P3 Tips” mobile app. Of course, “Old School” telephone reporting is still available through our original telephone line at (805) 549-STOP.
As the world has changed in these last 42 years, SLO County Crime Stoppers has changed with it. This prompted moving to our online reporting system and mobile app. While this system has made it immensely easier for people to submit tips, the next phase we are working on is a more visible presence within the county. We are currently working with the Sheriff’s Department Graphics Arts Program to create 4’ x 8’ billboards to be strategically placed in the three geographic areas of the county, (North/Coast/South). We are working with management at the Santa Margarita Ranch for the placement of our first sign along the Highway 101 corridor in the north county. These signs should give SLO County Crime Stoppers a real boost in program recognition. In addition to signage, we are in the process of creating bumper stickers to be made available for patrol units of San Luis Obispo County law enforcement agencies. To my recollection, these bumper stickers have not been seen in SLO County for at least 20 years. As most people now rely heavily on their smartphones for access to programs we are also working toward the incorporation of a QR code on our literature and advertisements to allow easier access to our site and reporting.
While these seem to be minor steps in the advertisement of our program, we believe they will contribute greatly to making SLO County Crime Stoppers a more visible and effective program. Since we transitioned to the online tip reporting system, we have received over 4,600 tips, resulting in over 5,700 tip follow-ups.
SLO County Crime Stoppers is mostly comprised of active and retired local Law Enforcement personnel and business professionals. We are expanding our Board and looking for new volunteers to assist our organization. We meet on the first Wednesday of every odd month. If you are interested in joining or assisting us, please contact Chairperson Gary Silveira at (805) 431-3764.