Efforts to get Greenwood's Crime Stoppers program up and running have hit a snag with the departure of the state's Crime Stoppers director, according to City Attorney Billy Bowman.
"We really want to be sure that we have someone to advise us. We'd rather do it correctly the first time," Bowman said.
Crime Stoppers programs give residents a way to provide anonymous information regarding a crime to the police. In addition, the program offers a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in criminal cases.
The city began to implement a Crime Stoppers program following the fatal shootings of Johnathan McCoy and Sharon Hunt in December.
Margaret Cooper, the state Crime Stoppers director since 1998, left her position sometime in the last month.
Bowman said Cooper missed a scheduled training meeting in Jackson with him, Police Chief Henry Harris, Lt. Chip Cade, the city's Crime Stoppers director, and several members of Greenwood's Crime Stoppers' board of directors.
Attempts to reach someone at the director's office in Jackson were not successful Friday.
The lack of a replacement for Cooper hasn't stymied the city's efforts.
"We've talked to several people that are on the state advisory board," Bowman said. "They've made several recommendations that we're trying to follow-up on."
Cooper previous said the state could provide as much as $2,000 to assist a community in establishing Crime Stoppers programs.
The primary state-approved funding mechanism for Crime Stoppers, a $2 surcharge on misdemeanor fines, excluding parking tickets, has strings attached to it.
"That money is collected locally and sent to Jackson. The local organizations have to request that it be sent back to them," he said.
Local Crime Stoppers programs, Bowman said, are set up as privately run corporations, which set their own agendas, make decisions on the which crimes to publicize and determine the amount of the reward offered. "It's more than just a telephone and someone answering it," he said.
"It's very important for funding to follow all your rules and so forth," Bowman said. "Let's take it slow and do it right."
However, he did say that Greenwood's program "will be functional real soon."
Cities such as Jackson and Tupelo, due to their sheer size, can quickly establish large Crime Stoppers operations, Bowman said.
Smaller size cities, such as Greenwood, he said, are hindered from not being able to collect fines outside the city's limits.
For example, tickets issued in Leflore County by the Mississippi Highway Patrol, will not have the Crime Stoppers surcharged applied to them, he said.
That, in part, explains why Crime Stoppers programs are in place in 52 of the state's 82 counties.
While there was some discussion about making the Crime Stoppers program countywide at the outset, nothing more has been done toward that end, Bowman said.
Larry "Kite" Johnson, Leflore County supervisor for District 5, said the delays in getting the program started is making it difficult for police to get the information about crimes taking place.
"Even though there have been some people arrested in Sharon's Hunt death, there are other violent crimes that have been committed since December. Crime Stoppers would be the ideal vehicle for getting that information," Johnson said.
He did say there was some discussion, in the early phases, of making the program countywide. That is something that Johnson is still interested in.
Johnson and his family posted a $2,000 reward for information on the shootings of McCoy and Hunt.
He said the lack of a secure, anonymous system, such as Crime Stoppers, makes it difficult for people to come forward.
Getting the program is critical, he said.
"It shouldn't be the hardest process. It's already all over the state," he said.
David Jordan, who serves as City Council president and as a state senator from Greenwood, said he wasn't aware of the problems getting Crime Stoppers off the ground.
"I haven't talked to the chief. Whatever problem they have at the state level, all they have to do is let me know," Jordan said.
He said, regardless of the headaches, "I think the people of the city want to see it up and running. I don't want to see it continue to be dragged out."
