Pike County Crime Stoppers official Sam Sanders said the program offers an incentive and encouragement for people who know something about unsolved crimes to report the information.
“The goal is to get those who are scared to speak to speak,” he told the McComb Lions Club on Tuesday.
A busy couple of weeks for law enforcement has raised the specter of crime in Pike County, and that has included several armed robberies and an unsolved murder.
The case of the death of Leroy McCray has brought more attention to Crime Stoppers after State Bank, where Sanders works, began an account to build up a reward for information about his death.
McCray, 68, was found shot to death on a remote Pike County road on Jan. 27, days after his family reported him missing. No arrests have been made.
“The family of Leroy McCray came to us to see if we could set up a separate award for any information leading to suspects in his killing,” Sanders said.
Crime Stoppers has already pledged $1,000 to the McCray case fund and so far, there’s another $1,500 in the award fund, totaling $2,500.
It’s the first time Crime Stoppers has decided to set up a fund that takes public donations. Normally, funding comes from a $1 surcharge on all misdemeanor crimes in McComb and Pike County.
Those who wish to donate can visit State Bank & Trust at 1028 Highway 51 in McComb and make a donation to Crime Stoppers for the McCray reward.
The donor provides contact information, so if a reward is never issued Crime Stoppers can contact donors to pick up their contribution or allow it to be sent to the Crime Stoppers general fund.
Sanders said Crime Stoppers plans to grow into a regional operation. So far, the all-volunteer service covers Lincoln and Pike counties, but he hopes to expand into Amite and Walthall counties.
“It takes a lot of coordination with law enforcement, constantly calling the chiefs, sheriffs and detectives to keep up to date with new developments. It’s a cooperative effort between all of us,” he said.
Sanders said tips have led to some offenders, and the Crime Stoppers Facebook page provides users the ability to share information such as mugshots of wanted suspects.
“We’ve been able to get really valuable tips. That’s what law enforcement tells me, and even the information that gets posted onto the site can assist law enforcement,” he said.
The amount of the reward that Crime Stoppers gives depends on the case and the information. Sanders said Crime Stoppers puts a great deal of faith in law enforcement to determine how much and who gets award money.
“We let them make that decision. They are the ones who know what information assists them, so it’s best left up to them. There is information that we might not think is very valuable that can make or break a case,” he said.
Those who are awarded money are told to drive to the bank where Crime Stoppers keeps its account, repeat a password to the teller, and are given the money. It’s about as anonymous as it can be.
Rewards fluctuate with the crime. The typical payout is approximately $250, and Sanders said the local Crime Stoppers program gives about 18 rewards a year — some $4,000 to $5,000 annually.
Sanders said information acquired from Crime Stoppers has led to more than 150 arrests. Overseeing the operation can be a balancing act, Sanders said. “We want to be more visible, but at the same time, we are careful about how much reward money is available. The higher the amount of money involved, the higher the number of false leads, which can distract investigators.”
Those who have information are invited to call Crime Stoppers at 684-0033.
