Crime Stoppers tips go up during holidays
Tips for Crime Stoppers go up during the Christmas season because people need holiday cash. According to Flint police officer Tanya Meeks, people who might know about a crime are enticed by the cash payouts.
The President of Crime Stoppers for Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, Michelle Tambling says so far in 2012, they've paid out more than $4400.00 They use a graph to determine how much people get: from 50 dollars to $1000.00.
Most tips come over the phone: at 800-422-5245 (JAIL). Tips received through e-mails are sent to coordinators for call centers. If an arrest is made, so is a payment. But everything is anoymous.
Actually right now, Crime Stoppers is looking to pay someone who sent in a tip, but they haven't been able to get in touch with them.
NBC 25 is starting a new segment called "Crime Files", working directly with CrimeStoppers to highlight crimes they need help solving.