(2014) In response to recent incidents of shots fired in Columbia and Boone County, CrimeStoppers is offering a record reward of $2,000 cash in the month of July for information leading to the arrest of anyone connected to these specific crimes. The reward is the largest ever offered in the organization’s 33-year history and will be paid for the tip immediately once an arrest is made in any or all of these cases.
“This is unprecedented for our organization. Typically, the payouts we provide for anonymous crime tips are in the hundreds of dollars. But with the seriousness of these particular incidents and the frequency with which they have been occurring, we’re willing to take extraordinary measures to help catch these criminals,” said Bill Costello, President of the CrimeStoppers Board of Directors. “This is easy money for any person who knows who these shooters are. And we know for certain that someone knows who they are.”
Callers to the CrimeStoppers tip line are guaranteed absolute anonymity for their tip, said Costello. They will never be asked their name or any personal information, phone calls are never traced or recorded and tip providers are never required to testify in a court case. A simple, short phone call to 573-875-TIPS (8477) is all that’s needed for the $2,000 cash payout if an arrest is made.
“We’re hopeful that someone will take us up on the offer for this no-questions-asked cash payout. These are criminals we need to get off the streets. And at the end of the day, we’re willing to pay a larger reward if that’s what it takes.”
