Give Information…

Why contact Crime Stoppers?

As an independent charity, we are not part of the police. When you contact us you won’t be identified. The only person who knows you contacted us with information is you. We know that it can be difficult to come forward with information. You might have seen or heard something about a crime but don’t know what to do, or are scared to come forward. It’s easy to think there is nothing you can do, but we offer you a safe way to do this. Our global statistics show that, worldwide, around 14 people are arrested and charged every day thanks to the information we receive from the public – so your information can make a difference.

The Crime Stoppers Guarantee

Our guarantee of anonymity is vitally important to both you and us. It makes it easier for you to come forward, breaking the silence around criminal activity and removing your fear. Anonymity is what makes our programme work.

We guarantee that:

• You will not be asked to reveal your name or any personal details.
• Your call will not be recorded.
• We have no caller line display and have never traced a call.
• Online reports have the same level of anonymity as phone calls.
• Our specially trained call agents make sure your report contains no information that could identify you.
• We do not make a note of gender, accents, apparent age or ethnicity of any caller.
• Even if you give personal details, they will not be recorded or passed on.

Protecting your identity

If the identity of one of our callers was made known, it would destroy trust in our service and no one would contact us. This is why it is so important to us that we can guarantee your anonymity.

How to give information

Our service is unique and designed to protect your identity, whether you call us or submit information online. To give information anonymously call 922 or fill out our Anonymous Online Form.

Helping you to remain anonymous

We don’t want to know your name so please don’t tell us. However, please tell us as much as you can in the information you submit, even if you think it might not be helpful.

Sometimes we need to ask you more questions

We may have additional questions that we’d like to ask you online, so please read the information on Two-Way Communication below for details on how we can maintain anonymous contact with you if we do need to get in touch with you.

What Crime Stoppers does with your information?

As an independent local charity, we are not part of the police and simply act as a route for members of the public to speak out about issues that affect their communities. Here we answer some of the common questions people ask us about the process of giving information to Crime Stoppers Belize.

What happens after I give Crime Stoppers information?

All phone calls are answered overseas by the Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers in Miami, Florida, USA. After receiving your call or a completed Anonymous Online Form, a report is created that brings together all the information you told us, making sure that it doesn’t contain any information that could identify you. The edited information is then transferred back to Crime Stoppers Belize electronically.

Who is my report sent to?

The Crime Stoppers Belize coordinator relays reports to the relevant law enforcement agencies or authorities with the legal responsibility to investigate crimes, make arrests and charge people in order to bring them to justice. This could be the local police force or an agency such as Belize Customs, Immigration, the Fishery Department, etc. In all instances, the law enforcement agencies are unaware that they are working on a Crime Stoppers Belize tip, which further protects the integrity of the information and anonymity of the caller.

How long does it take before action is taken on my information?

When your report is given to law enforcement, the police need to:

• thoroughly research the information you have given in order to act on it,
• make sure that information is accurate and not given with the intention of ‘setting someone up’, and
• have other intelligence that supports the information received from Crime Stoppers.

The police cannot get a search warrant or make an arrest based solely on anonymous information. The research they do on information from Crime Stoppers means they can use it with confidence. Once the information has been researched, the police will allocate this to an appropriate officer or team to deal with. This could mean more research or action may be taken.

Why did nothing happen after I contacted Crime Stoppers?

We can’t influence how long it can take for the police to act on information you have given. There could be many reasons for the process taking time:

• the information may be crucial to a larger investigation where action may take place later on,
• the information may remain on file which helps to solve crime at a later date, or
• more information may be required before action can be taken.

So even if you don’t see a quick resolution, don’t think your information hasn’t been of use.

Rewards

We pay cash rewards of up to $1,000 if the information you give to us leads to one or more people being arrested and charged. Less than 1 percent of people who could claim a reward actually do so.

How do I claim a reward?

• When you speak to a Call Agent, they will give you a code number at the end of the call.
• You must keep the code number as you will need to give it to the Call Agent later either if you wish to give further information or to request a reward if your information leads to an arrest or charges of an individual or recovery of property or weapons.
• If you make your report online, you must create a two-way communication with us (see above ‘How to Give Information’). If you create a two-way communication, you must make a written request for a reward code and then log back on 24 hours later to get the code.
• To make a claim, ring 922 and give us your reward code.
• Once we have your reward code, we will ask law enforcement whether your information meets the criteria for a reward.

Once a suspect has been charged, you will be told that the amount of the reward needs to be confirmed by the Chairman of the local Crime Stoppers Committee of Volunteers. This may take a few days. Once this has been confirmed, you will be consulted as to the method payment is to be made.