No Taxpayer Money goes to Crime Stoppers

Last year, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office experienced a dramatic increase in tips to Crime Stoppers, 42 in 2013 to 184 in 2014. In addition, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office tripled the amount of money paid out to callers on the anonymous tip line used to report crimes in the county, paying out almost $1,800. No taxpayer money is used to pay for those tips, explains Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jimmy Watt. “Crime Stoppers is a 501c3 organization, it is non profit and there is no taxpayer money spent on Crime Stoppers and no line item in the Sheriff’s Office budget. All the money we raise for our operations, the buying of promotional material and paying out tips that lead to arrests when those come in, all of that money is raised through our fundraisers and through private donations.” Anyone with any information on crimes in the county can call Crime Stoppers at 864-638-STOP, 1-888-CRIME-SC, or text in your tip to 274637. You do not have to give your name and all names and information relayed to Crime Stoppers is anonymous and confidential.