Crime Stoppers of Manatee County follows the guidelines and directions set out by the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers in its day-to-day operation. Crime Stoppers of Manatee County is available (1-866-634-TIPS) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, taking completely anonymous tips on any felony criminal activity. Spanish speaking operators available. (If you witness a crime in progress, you should call 911).
Put simply it is a three part approach to solving the crime problem. Crime Stoppers relies on cooperation between the police, the media, and the general community to provide a flow of information about crime and criminals.
The very unique integrated Two-Way Dialog capabilities allow the tipster to come back and provide additional information to their tip at any time, but also provides a secure means for the coordinator to ask questions or provide reward information back to the tipster through the same secure and encrypted interface.
The Crime Stoppers program is funded by private donations and fund raising. NO TAX DOLLARS are involved. The reward money paid out by the program is from the fund raising and donations from concerned citizens and businesses.
The Manatee County Crime Stoppers board of directors, made up of persons from throughout the area, meets on a monthly basis to evaluate arrests and to decide on the size of rewards to be paid, up to $3,000. Rewards are then distributed in a private manner to the callers. Callers are eligible for rewards up to $3,000, but, despite this, many callers choose not to collect their rewards.
In certain high profile cases Crime Stoppers will partner with other organizations, businesses, or motivated individuals who want to enhance the reward beyond the maximum $3,000.00 allowed. Crime Stoppers welcomes this participation and requires that a one page agreement be completed and the money placed in escrow until the conditions of the agreement are met or the agreement expires and the money is returned. If you are interested in enhancing a reward please contact us.
Download Enhanced Reward Agreement