Generosity Day in support of Crime Stoppers
Posted:
Update:
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Thanksgiving is just days away and WCIA is already giving back. Tuesday, November 30 is the WCIA Day of Giving fundraising campaign.
WCIA is dedicated to raising funds for our Victory Over Violence initiative this year, and Champaign County Crime Stoppers is one of the groups that will benefit.
Authorities are responding to more calls as gun violence grows in the region.
Champaign County Crime Stoppers vice president Dawn Trimble said the group hopes to increase rewards for informants from $ 1,000 to $ 2,500 or even $ 5,000 to entice informants to come forward.
“A thousand dollars is not much anymore. We haven’t increased this maximum reward for years, ”Trimble said.
Trimble reminds people that all reported information remains anonymous using sophisticated technology to ensure your identity is never revealed.
“The people who come to Crime Stoppers want to remain anonymous, and that’s our reason for being, isn’t it? They don’t want an officer on their porch. They don’t want to testify in court. They don’t want to give their name, and we need to encourage them a bit more to continue the success we’re seeing, ”Trimble said.
In September alone, Champaign County Crime Stoppers successfully removed a record 18 illegal firearms from the streets. Even though Crime Stoppers have a common goal with the Sheriff’s Office and the Police Department, they are separate.
“We are citizens. We are not the police, and we just want to remind people that we are a group of citizens who really care about this community, and obviously we pass this information on to the police and just remind them that we are a little bit apart, ” Trimble said.
Crime Stoppers has a Go-Fund-Me goal of $ 25,000 in place to increase tipster rewards.
So far they have managed to raise almost 8,000. So there is still some way to go.
If you would like to help fight crime and donate, you can Click here.
