The Clarksville-Montgomery County Crime Stoppers organization is a group of citizens who work as part of an international program to serves the community as an information source for local law enforcement.

Through tips from the public, Crime Stoppers helps solve crimes, catch wanted fugitives, convict criminals, confiscate illegal drugs, recover stolen property, and more. The work of Crime Stoppers helps promote a safer community for local citizens, businesses, and industry.

“The organization is there to help law enforcement in combating crime and to solve crimes that have occurred,” Chairman Bill Summers said.

Remaining anonymous is one of the most important aspects of Crime Stoppers. Phone calls to the Crime Stoppers TIPS line (931-645-8477), are kept completely confidential. The calls are never recorded and the caller is never asked for their name, just information about the crime.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously online.

The person submitting a tip is assigned a case number and then the Clarksville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, or Austin Peay State University Campus Police will follow up and investigate the matter.

If the tip leads to an arrest, the tipster receives a cash reward of up to $1,000 depending on the seriousness of the crime. Crime Stoppers also works closely with law enforcement on unsolved crimes, commonly known as cold cases, which usually involves the victim of a murder.

Summers said there is a special reward for tips when it comes to solving cold cases and the organization has partnered with support from local businesses to offer up to $5,000 on cold cases.

Crime Stoppers asks that any other business that would be willing to help can contact: clarksvillecrimestoppers@gmail.com.

The following are preliminary numbers for the work of Crime Stoppers in 2018:

• Total tips: 847
• Tips followed up on: 527
• Total arrests from tips: 24
• Other cases cleared from tips: 3
• Total tips approved for payout: 16
• Total amounts of rewards approved: $4,750

Crime Stoppers will host its 4th Annual Blue Jean Ball on February 9 at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center featuring music from the Pink Cadillac Band. The event is a fundraising event for the nonprofit organization to help pay anonymous tips from the public on crimes.

To learn more visit ClarksvilleCrimeStoppers.com or the Crime Stoppers Facebook page. To report an anonymous tip online go to p3Tips.com/591 or call the TIPS line at 931-645-TIPS (8477).