Wood County Crime Stoppers works to strengthen public safety

WOOD COUNTY – Wood County Crime Stoppers (WCCS) aims to strengthen public safety by empowering residents to report crimes or suspicious behavior anonymously through multiple channels, including a new 222 Tips hotline.

“The Wood County Crime Stoppers was created to assist law enforcement with apprehension and convictions of criminals by helping to motivate members of the public to cooperate with their respective law enforcement agencies,” said Dan Berres, WCCS treasurer.

“Crime Stoppers encourages people to provide tips that can be vital in the successful solution of a crime by offering cash rewards for tips which lead to the arrest and/or indictment of felony suspects, and by guaranteeing that the tipster's identity remains unknown.”

Crime Stoppers differs from traditional law enforcement avenues by allowing people to remain completely anonymous and submit tips without having to call a dispatch center.

The WCCS ensures that their tippers stay anonymous by not asking or keeping record of personal information.

The tip submission works through phone (1-877-325-STOP (7867)), as well as the P3 Tips mobile app/web. Tips can include multimedia — images, video, documents — as well.

Berres stated that the program fits into a broader public safety effort in Wood County.

“By getting the community involved through crime stoppers, you get a sense that the community becomes a watchful eye for our local agencies. Law enforcement can only be in so many places at any given time,” Berres added.

“Our goal is to reach out to as many children as possible to make them comfortable around law enforcement and let them know they don’t have to be afraid to come forward with information about crime. If we can get children on board to say something when they see something, we can prevent major tragedies in the schools that we often see in our nation.”

With 222 Tips (1-800-222-TIPS) — where your call will be routed to the Crime Stoppers program closest to your location — recently instituted, Berres noted a recent success story.

“A notable case that was solved was when a tip that came into the Marshfield Police Department about someone bringing drugs into the city. The vehicle was stopped, and ultimately a fair amount of drugs were discovered in the vehicle,” he recalled.

“The program’s success is measured by how many people are involved with it in the community. When you see tips pouring in to our tip line, it gives you a sense that the community is stepping up to eliminate crime. That is the ultimate goal.”

But Berres said that the organization still faces challenges.

“I believe bringing awareness to the program can be challenging. Also, there is the aspect that people just don’t want to be involved in any way when they see a crime being committed. That is what we are trying to change,” he said.

“Just spreading the word about the program is a huge help. The more people that know about it, the better.

“It gives people a voice to report crime without fear, and that partnership between citizens and law enforcement is what truly strengthens public safety.” 

The organization will host a fundraiser on Jan. 31 at the Lincoln High School Performing Arts Center in Wisconsin Rapids.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/WoodCountyCrimeStoppers.