Terrorism a concern for NMI Crime Stoppers

News of Crime Stoppers International’s mission to be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism has drawn positive reactions from many Crime Stoppers programs worldwide, and NMI Crime Stoppers officials Jim Arenovski and Rodney Klinge were among those who expressed their support.

Arenovski and Klinge were in attendance at a recent Crime Stoppers International conference in Calgary, Canada, which featured a session where representatives of various agencies that deal with terrorism explained the role Crime Stoppers can take in terrorism. Members of the panel include individuals from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, police, and community groups, among others.

“What was most encouraging to me is seeing the international link up with other countries, and especially from the standpoint of terrorism, where you can get tips coming in to so many different places about so many different things…so your chances of locating terrorists activity and countering it before it spreads will probably be a lot better,” Klinge said.

The conference dealt with many other issues, however, Arenovski said the focus on terrorism was what the biggest topic.

“The underlining message of the whole conference was how we can link ourselves with federal organizations and national organizations around the world in the war of fighting terrorism,” Arenovski said. “If we are able to get one tip that prevents an attack or captures a suspect that potentially can do harm, whether it’s in Saipan, Philippines, Korea, or in the United States, then that would be a huge plus for a program.

“So I think that on the line theme for the conference and obviously it was impressive to have a number of other international and national organizations from different countries be able to give their take on how they think Crime Stoppers can fit in to help the war in terrorism,” he added.

Members of the panel applauded Crime Stoppers for its effort to combat crime. They also explained how intelligence-based information is taken and handled by law enforcement plays a key role.

CSI president Steve Walrath had earlier explained that because it is not a government entity, and because it has credibility to attract various agencies, Crime Stoppers serves as a venue for groups to openly exchange ideas in hopes of not only solving crimes, but preventing acts being plotted by terrorists.

Since it’s inception in 1976, Crime Stoppers has cleared over 1.142 million cases, with 611,807 arrests being made. Over $68.5 million of rewards has been paid and $1.5 billion worth of property received. The organization has also seized over $5.6 billion worth of drugs.

Meanwhile, the NMI Crime Stoppers program has cleared 210 cases, made 167 arrests, paid over $10,000 in rewards, and recovered $197,793 worth of property and over $2.3 million in narcotics. Tips through the program have also enabled law enforcement to clear two homicide cases.