Crime Stoppers working in county


Thursday, April 19, 2007
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Crime Stoppers working in county

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Photo by Sue Watson

Good fellowship
Holly Springs police officers Patricia Selman and Brenda Prewitt and Cathy Elliott, deputy with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, enjoy the luncheon.

Marshall County Crime Stoppers held a law enforcement appreciation meeting at the jail Thursday with fish plates prepared by sheriff Kenny Dickerson.

Law officers who work closely with Crime Stoppers said they hope to have a good response from the community in terms of tips that help solve crime cases.

In a statement of appreciation by deputy David Cook, he said any tips provided law enforcement either directly or to Crime Stoppers help law officers solve crime cases. He said Crime Stoppers is an asset to the county when people don’t worry about calling and getting the word out.

“It is a simple process when someone calls and any tool to help law enforcement is a plus,” Cook said. “As many eyes and ears the county has is a plus.”

Law enforcement is seeing an increased interest in establishing Neighborhood Watch especially in high growth areas, Cook added.

“We can tell them a simple way to get involved is to become a member of Crime Stoppers,” he said. “Any information the public can get helps fight crime.”

New business owners in the growth area in the northwestern portion of the county are expressing appreciation for law enforcement, Cook said.

“They say we come by often and better than law enforcement does in Memphis,” he said. “As a group - all together - we can put a pretty good dent in crime.”

There is no membership fee to join Crime Stoppers. The group meets every second Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at the Holly Springs Police Station.

Assistant police chief Patricia Selman, with the Holly Springs Police Department, added a recent tip helped alert law enforcement about a crime and people are paying more attention to graffiti.

“We are getting calls on that,” she said.

Selman said those who offer tips do not want to be called a snitch and Crime Stoppers is a good way to get information to law enforcement without having to identify oneself by either name, phone number or face-to-face.

“Crime Stoppers does not have to have your name or see your face,” she said.

But callers who leave tips are responsible for not telling anyone they tipped off law enforcement.

Selman said the City of Holly Springs is happy about growth, but the police department wants people to feel safe and to come and stay.

“With Marshall County and Crime Stoppers, everybody together, I feel we can fight crime in a great way,” she said.

Local business owners help stop crime by supporting Crime Stoppers through sponsorships, Selman said. Donations help build up a pool of money to pay for tips that lead to solving a crime. The donations are also used to purchase Crime Stoppers literature for educational uses in area schools.

Membership in Crime Stoppers is kept anonymous so organizers do not have to fear reprisals.

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