Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers posts record 630 tips in 2015
Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers received a record-breaking number of tips in the last quarter of 2015, leading to various felony arrests in Stone, George, Greene, Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties, executive director Ronnie Castille said.
In 2015, Crime Stoppers received a total of 630 tips compared with 580 tips in 2014 and 420 in 2013, said Lori Massey, the group's coordinator. So far this year, 15 tips have been called. The number of arrests was not released.
A good sign
"This says the citizens of our six counties are becoming familiar with Crime Stoppers," Massey said. "Our citizens want to lock up criminals and take them off the streets. People don't call in tips only for the cash rewards. There are a lot of people who don't even collect their reward. They just want to be good citizens."
Crime Stoppers, a community-based crime-solving group, has branches all over the world. It offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to arrests.
The most recent arrest credited to Crime Stoppers tipsters was in Gautier -- Brian Dace, 25, was wanted on a warrant for felony shoplifting. Wiggins police believe Dace is the man caught on surveillance video stealing iPhones last week from Wal-Mart in Wiggins. He is being held at the Stone County jail.
Crime Stoppers routinely receives tips when the Sun Herald features its South Mississippi's most-wanted series. Since the Sun Herald's most-wanted series began in 2007, tips have led to the arrests of more than 125 people.
In 2011, the state Department of Public Safety recognized Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers as best new Crime Stoppers chapter in the state.
Crime Stoppers receives tips through a secure tip line or a secure Internet connection that connects with law enforcement officials, Castille said.
Get in touch
To report information about crime near you, call Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898, text CSTIP plus your message to 274637 or log on to mscoastcrimestoppers.com and leave a message. All tips are confidential.
Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers also has a Facebook page.
"By becoming a friend to Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers on Facebook, you will be able to see photos of persons of interest, suspects that agencies are needing assistance to identify, fugitives that are on the run, missing persons and happenings in our local law enforcement agencies, just to name a few," Castille said.
This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers posts record 630 tips in 2015 ."