News & Events
Crime Stoppers and Champaign County Sheriff's Office Place Kiosk at Courthouse
October 05, 2020
Office are working together to boost their crime-fighting efforts by placing a high technology information kiosk at the Courthouse in Urbana. The Community Pro-Tektor Kiosk was placed in a highly visible location on the first floor, on September 30th, between the Circuit Clerk’s window and Courtroom L.
The kiosk will display rotating information on how to submit a tip to Crime Stoppers, wanted subjects, Crime of the Week, public safety information, weather updates and announcements. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office will be able to post information as well. The kiosk will also convey the urgency of Amber Alerts by becoming totally activated with only information pertinent to the Alert.
“The Sheriff's Office has a long history of working with both the community and with Champaign County Crime Stoppers to help solve crimes, and even prevent future crimes, through information gathering,” Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said. “With a large number of the public visiting the Champaign County Courthouse every day, this seems like a great opportunity to increase information-sharing with the public. This new kiosk helps us to do that!”
This is the second Crime Stoppers kiosk to be located in the community by the group. In cooperation with Parkland College, a similar kiosk was placed on the Champaign campus late last year. The funding for both installations was made possible by a grant from the Champaign Rotary Club.
“Crime Stoppers is extremely pleased to announce the installation of a kiosk at the Champaign County Courthouse,” said John Hecker, President of the Crime Stoppers Board of Directors. “We firmly believe that these kiosks will further our efforts to reduce the amount of crime and the number of unsolved crimes in Champaign County.”
Community Coalition and Champaign Partner with Crime Stoppers to Solve and Prevent Local Gun Crime
December 19, 2019
The Illegal Gun Bounty Reward Program has been very successful since it launched in January 2019. During the program’s first 11 months, Champaign County Crime Stoppers paid out $12,000 in rewards for anonymous tips which resulted in 13 arrests and the recovery of 23 firearms (16 handguns, 4 rifles, and 3 shotguns), including weapons that had defaced serial numbers, had been illegally modified, or were reported stolen.
“The Illegal Gun Bounty Reward Program has resulted in a significant increase in the number of anonymous tips Crime Stoppers receives from the public about crimes involving firearms,” reports John Hecker, President of Champaign County Crime Stoppers. “Our organization is proud to play a role in helping to address the community’s gun crime problem. Crime Stoppers is grateful to the Champaign County Community Coalition and the City of Champaign for supporting our efforts to fight crime in Champaign County.”
Crime Stoppers Places New Community Alert Kiosk at Parkland College
November 08, 2019
the urgency of Amber Alerts and will activate fully with only information pertinent to an alert.
“After seeing the kiosk at national conferences, we saw the opportunity to help spread the word about Crime Stoppers further here in Champaign County,” Trimble said. “This is an innovative way to provide information to the community, and we plan to work on a network of the kiosks here in the area.”
Parkland College Chief of Police William Colbrook discussed the selection of Parkland College to house the Crime Stoppers notification stand.
“We’re proud to be the first partner to host one of these kiosks,” Colbrook said. “We’re a high traffic location in the community that serves individuals from every walk of life. It fits with our community engagement mission and enhances campus safety.”
Board President Receives National Award
September 24, 2019
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County is extremely proud to announce Board President John Hecker has been named as the recipient of the Freddi Moody Memorial P3 Board Member of the Year Award during the Crime Stoppers USA Annual Training Conference held in Tempe, Arizona. Anderson Software, which provides products to Crime Stoppers programs to receive anonymous tips, announced Hecker as this year’s recipient Sunday evening.
Hecker was nominated by Vice President of the local Crime Stoppers Board, Dawn Coyne Trimble; and by past police coordinator for the local board, Troy Daniels, who retired from the Champaign Police Department. Both Trimble and Daniels sit on the Crime Stoppers USA board.
Hecker was the founding President of Crime Stoppers of Champaign County 33 years ago on March 7, 1986, and continues to serve in that position currently. In their nomination letter, Coyne and Daniels said Hecker is believed to be the longest serving board president of a local organization in the Crime Stoppers family worldwide.
They also described Hecker as a relentless supporter of the program who has embraced the latest advances in technology as ways to make it easier for citizens to provide information about crimes anonymously. “An example of this would be John’s unwavering support of implementing Anderson Software products that receive tips, such as Tipsoft and P3,” they said. They also pointed out Hecker’s support of the successful local Gun Bounty program, aimed at reducing gun violence in the community. The program guarantees a $1,000 reward for tips that lead to a felony gun arrest. (nomination letter attached)
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County has used the Anderson Software product “P3 Tips mobile app” for several years to provide a free method for cellphone users to submit information anonymously. In addition to text information, the app allows images, video and documents to be uploaded with the tip.
In addition to the free P3 Tips mobile app , Crime Stoppers of Champaign County also accepts tips at our Tips Line 373-TIPS, and at our website www.373tips.com. No matter how information is submitted to Crime Stoppers, the tipster always remains anonymous.
Announcing Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year and Youth Scholarship Winners
July 11, 2019
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County today announced the winner of the Fifth Annual Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award at the organization’s Annual Meeting held at The Elks Lodge in Savoy. Also, the recipient of the Crime Stoppers Youth Scholarship Scholarship was announced.
The winner of this year’s Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award is the West Urbana Neighborhood Association (WUNA). In nominating the group, WUNA member Kay Grabow said, “I believe that those of us who live in West Urbana are safer because of the feeling of community created by the West Urbana Neighborhood Association, and especially by the connection through the WUNA List Serve.”
She also said, “By keeping neighbors connected and interested in each other, the List Serve provides many sets of eyes and ears that help law enforcement agencies.” She provided examples that include alerting residents about someone who may be stealing packages from front porches. Also, watching for missing pets which makes the job of animal control easier.
“Knowing our neighbors at some level and caring for their well-being are great positive ways to fight crime. The West Urbana Neighborhood Association serves us well,” Grabow concluded.
Grabow, steering committee member Trent Shepard, and Co-Treasurer Anne H. Silvis attended the Crime Stoppers Annual Meeting to accept the Dave Benton Award, which is sponsored by Barb and Tom Frasca.
The winner of the annual $500 Crime Stoppers Youth Scholarship is Tolono Unity High School graduate Abigail Charleston, who will attend Parkland College in Champaign to study Criminal Justice.
33rd Annual Meeting - Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award Presentation - Youth Scholarship Presentation
July 03, 2019
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County will announce the winner of the Fifth Annual Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award at its Annual Meeting to be held on Thursday, July 11. The award is given to a citizen of Champaign County who most exemplifies the crimefighting spirit that Dave displayed during his award-winning newscasts and programs on WCIA-TV, and as a Crime Stoppers board member. Dave lost his battle against cancer in May 2015. Also during the Annual Meeting, the winner of the Champaign County Crime Stoppers Youth Scholarship will be announced.
Members of area law enforcement agencies are among the invited guests. The guest speaker is Circuit Court Judge Jason Bohm.
The Annual Meeting will be held from 12 to 1 p.m., July 11, 2019, at The Elks Lodge, 903 North Dunlap, in Savoy. The winner of the Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award, the person who nominated the recipient, and the President of the Crime Stoppers Board ,John Hecker, will all be available to the media following the meeting.
Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award Deadline Extension
May 30, 2019
Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award
May 20, 2019
Shred Event and Drug Drop-Off Scheduled May 18, 2019
May 06, 2019
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are once again joining together to provide a one-stop opportunity for residents to protect themselves from identity theft and to safely dispose of old prescription drugs.
Crime Stoppers is sponsoring a Shred Event along with the DEA’s free Drug Drop-Off on Saturday May 18, 2019, from 9-11a.m. on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign. The events will be held in Lot E14 at the corner of First and Kirby, across from the State Farm Center.
Shredding old personal documents is one of the best ways for people to protect themselves from identity theft. Crime Stoppers is working with Triad Shredding to provide off-site shredding of up to two banker’s boxes of documents. Crime Stoppers is also asking for a small donation of $5 to help pay future rewards to tipsters who help solve crimes.
The following documents will be accepted: medical records, financial statements, credit applications, bank statements, documents with social security numbers or driver license numbers, bank checks, tax records, and legal documents over 8 years old.
At the same time, the DEA is offering an easy way to prevent pill abuse and theft through the Drug Drop Off. Residents can rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. People can bring their pills and patches, but the DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that remain in home cabinets are highly susceptible to abuse. In addition, usual methods for disposing of unused medicines such as flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, pose potential safety and health hazards. More information about the Shred Event and Prescription Drug Take Back is available at 373tips.com.
Crime Stoppers Extends Successful Gun Bounty Rewards
April 29, 2019
Ten handguns, 2 shotguns, and a semi-automatic rifle are among the weapons removed from our neighborhood streets as a result of tips to Champaign County Crime Stoppers during a 3 ½ - month trial period for its new Gun Bounty Reward Program. The seizure of firearms through the pilot program, that ran from January 10 to April 26 this year, shows a 467 percent increase in recovered guns over the same period in 2018. Through this initiative, anyone who contacts Crime Stoppers with a tip that leads to the arrest of person who used a gun during the commission of a felony crime in Champaign County will receive our maximum $1,000 cash reward pay outs. During the trial period, Crime Stoppers approved five payouts to tipsters of $1,000 each for a total of $5,000. As a result of the success of the initiative, the Crime Stoppers Board voted unanimously at its monthly meeting on April 25, 2019, to continue the Gun Bounty Reward Program as long as financial resources are available to pay the maximum rewards.
The anonymous tips from the public regarding gun-related crimes has led to the arrest of 6 individuals on charges that include felony gun crimes. In addition to the recovery of a total of 14 firearms, officers seized drugs and cash. Here is a breakdown: (see attached photo of police seizure related to a Crime Stoppers tip through Gun Bounty Reward Program).
- • Ten handguns (including one stolen handgun)
- • Two rifles (including one semi-automatic and one stolen rifle)
- • Two shotguns
- • More than 5,000 grams of cannabis with street value of $50,000
- • More than $3,000 cash
A comparison of tips and recovered weapons between January 10 and April 26 for the years 2018 and 2019 also shows the program is making a difference: (stats are based on Crime Stoppers Mobile App P3 Tips analysis)
- • 27% increase in drug-related tips
- • 143 % increase in weapons-related tips
- • 6% increase in overall tips
- • 467% increase in weapons seized
The success of the Gun Bounty Reward program has increased our need for financial assistance from the community we serve. As a result, the Champaign County Crime Stoppers Board is appealing to local businesses and members of the public for financial support. Crime Stoppers has no paid staff and relies totally upon the support of our community for reward money and operating expenses. Members of the public are asked to support Crime Stoppers with a tax-deductible donation which can easily be made via our website at 373tips.com. Also, in order to make giving simple for donors, Champaign County
Crime Stoppers has set up a crowdfunding campaign through GoFundMe. Donations can be made at gofundme.com/gun-bounty-reward.
As always, tips must come directly to Crime Stoppers in order to qualify for a reward. Tipsters will remain completely anonymous and can submit tips by phone (217-373-TIPS), our website (373tips.com), or through our free "P3 Tips" mobile app.
Crime Stoppers Sees Success With Gun Bounty Reward Program
April 04, 2019
To help combat a marked increase in gun-related crime in our community, Champaign County Crime Stoppers announced a 3-month pilot program called the Gun Bounty Reward on January 10, 2019. Through this initiative, anyone who contacts Crime Stoppers with a tip that leads to the arrest of person who used a gun during the commission of a felony crime in Champaign County will receive our maximum $1,000 cash reward pay out. Now halfway through the pilot program, Crime Stoppers is pleased to announce the successful outcomes that have resulted from the Gun Bounty Reward.
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Seven handguns (including one stolen handgun)
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Two rifles (including one stolen rifle)
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One shotgun
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More than 2,000 grams of cannabis
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More than $2,000 cash
Announcing New $1,000 Gun Bounty Reward
January 10, 2019
To help combat a marked increase in gun-related crime in our community, Champaign County Crime Stoppers is launching a 3-month pilot initiative called the Gun Bounty Reward. Anyone who contacts Crime Stoppers with a tip that leads to the arrest of person who used a gun during the commission of a felony crime in Champaign County will receive our maximum reward pay out - $1,000.
As law enforcement and community leaders rally together to find new ways to stop the
escalation of gun violence, the Board of Directors for Crime Stoppers of Champaign County is proud to step up and join in their efforts. Through the Gun Bounty Reward, Crime Stoppers is providing an anonymous way for the public to submit information about felony gun-related crimes, with the added incentive of this enhanced reward of $1,000 to come forward to help
police solve crimes and make arrests.
As always, tips must come directly to Crime Stoppers in order to qualify for a reward. Tipsters will remain completely anonymous when submitting a tip to Crime Stoppers by phone at 217-373-TIPS (8477), via our website at 373tips.com, or through our free P3 Tips mobile app.
In 2018, Crime Stoppers of Champaign County received more than 1,200 tips which led to the arrest of 51 people, the payout of nearly $6,000 in rewards, and the recovery of more than $19,000 of drugs, cash, and stolen property. Since our program was founded in 1986, Crime Stoppers has processed nearly 21,000 anonymous tips, recovered more than $1.5 million dollars of drugs, cash, and stolen property, and paid out more than $126,000 in cash rewards. Crime Stoppers works!
Crime Stoppers is committed to making Champaign County safer by providing an easy way for tipsters to convey information anonymously and to receive cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest. Crime Stoppers has no paid staff and relies upon the support of the community for operating expenses and reward money. This enhanced reward opportunity increases the need for our organization to seek public donations in order to continue the success of our program. Businesses and members of the public are encouraged to consider making a donation though the link on our website at 373tips.com.
Announcing: Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award of the Year and Crime Stoppers Scholarship Recipient
July 19, 2018
Crimes Stoppers of Champaign County today announced the winner of the Fourth Annual Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award at the organization’s Annual Meeting held at the Elks Lodge in Savoy. Also, the recipient of the Crime Stoppers Criminal Justice Scholarship was announced.
The winner of this year’s Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award is Bryan Yacko, in his role as an Assistant Principal of Champaign Central High School. He was nominated by Sgt. Brandon Thomas on behalf of the Champaign Police Department. Sgt. Thomas called Bryan Yacko’s actions at the time of a shooting near Central High School “nothing short of HEROIC”. On December 12, 2017, several shots were fired from off the property in the direction of the school as people were leaving a basketball game. Three people were hurt by the gunfire. Sgt. Thomas said, “Mr. Yacko began shouting instructions while physically and verbally directing those potential victims back to the relative safety of the school building and out of the line of fire.” “Mr. Yacko displayed selfless service in the face of extreme danger,” continued Sgt. Thomas. “I have no doubt that Mr. Yacko’s actions saved lives and spared many potential victims from harm. I am awestruck by his bravery.”
The winner of the Annual Crime Stoppers Criminal Justice Scholarship is Breahna Ramirez. She was graduated from Centennial High School in Champaign and plans to use the $2,000 scholarship toward her education at Parkland College. She hopes to pursue a career in Corrrections Institutions. The underlining purpose of this scholarship program is to promote criminal justice as a career and to financially assist a graduating senior in pursuit of an education in that field. This year's scholarship was made possible, in part, by Doug Mills.
Accepting Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award Nominations
May 22, 2018
Crime Stoppers Announces Shred Event/Drug Drop-Off on April 21, 2018
April 17, 2018
Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year & Crime Stoppers/Busey Mills Scholarship Winners Announced
July 26, 2017
Crimes Stoppers of Champaign County today announced the winner of the Third Annual Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award at the organization’s Annual Meeting held at the Elks Lodge in Savoy. Also, the recipient of the second Crime Stoppers/Busey-Mills Community Foundation Criminal Justice Scholarship was announced.
The winner of this year’s Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award is Tony Comtois. He works full-time with C-U At Home where he taps into his own life history to help the homeless, law enforcement, and to make the community safer. The Nominating Committee was impressed with Tony’s battle to overcome drug and alcohol problems and his own homelessness. He began turning his life around as a resident of the Times Shelter in Champaign
in 2006. He then went on to work at the Detox Center and the Salvation Army, and currently with C-U at Home. He can relate to the issues facing the homeless and uses that knowledge in an ongoing effort to make a difference in the lives of the homeless and in the community. Tony Comtois was nominated by former Urbana Police Chief Pat Connolly on behalf of
all Champaign County law enforcement agencies. Connolly said “Tony epitomizes the concept of this award by improving the long term interaction between the police and the homeless community.” His nomination highlights Tony’s importance to the local Law Enforcement community and how he helps officers deal with a growing problem that police are not trained to
deal with effectively.
The winner of the Second Annual Crime Stoppers/Busey-Mills Community Foundation Criminal Justice Scholarship is Danielle Boulos, Unity High School in Tolono. She said the scholarship would give her a greater chance of going to the University of Maryland for its top rated
criminology program. The underlining purpose of this scholarship program is to promote criminal justice as a career and to financially assist a graduating senior in their pursuit of an education in the field of criminal justice.
Crime Stoppers 31st Annual Meeting and Award Presentations
July 24, 2017
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County is proud to announce the winner of the Third Annual Dave Benton Crime Fighter of the Year Award at its Annual Meeting to be held on July 26, 2017 The award is given to a citizen of Champaign County who most exemplifies the crimefighting spirit that Dave exhibited during his award-winning newscasts and programs on WCIA-TV, and as a Crime Stoppers board member. Dave lost his battle against cancer in May 2015.
Also during the Annual Meeting, the winner of the second annual Crime Stoppers/Busey-Mills Community Foundation Criminal Justice Scholarship will be introduced.
Members of area law enforcement agencies are among the invited guests. The Guest Speaker is Dr. Michael Schlosser, Director of the Illinois Police Training Institute.
The Annual Meeting will be held from 12 to between 1-1:15, July 26, at The Elks Lodge, 903 North Dunlap, Savoy.
The winner of the Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award, the person who nominated the recipient, and John Hecker (President of the Champaign County Crime Stoppers) will all be available to the media following the meeting.Crime Stoppers Shred/Drug Drop Off Event
April 18, 2017
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are joining together to provide a one-stop opportunity for you to protect yourself from identity theft and to safety dispose of old prescription drugs.
Crime Stoppers is sponsoring a Shred Event in conjunction with the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday April 29, 2017, 9-11am, at the southwest corner of St. Mary’s Road/Fox Drive and Neil Street, in Champaign.
The best way to protect yourself against identity theft is to make sure your personal information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Shredding old personal documents can get rid of the potential risk permanently. Crime Stoppers is working with Triad Shredding to provide off-site shredding of up to 2 banker’s boxes of documents to help you protect yourself. Crime Stoppers is also asking for a small donation of $5 to help pay future rewards to tipsters who help solve crimes.
The following documents will be accepted: medical records, financial statements, credit applications, bank statements, documents with social security numbers or driver license numbers, bank checks, tax records, and legal documents over 8 years old.
At the same time, the DEA will give you an easy way to prevent pill abuse and theft through the Drug Drop Off. You can rid your home of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills and patches, but the DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that remain in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. In addition, usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the Shred Event and Prescription Drug Take Back Day is available at 373-tips.com.
Crime Stoppers Announces New Mobile App
November 14, 2016
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County is adding a new weapon in its fight against crime, while continuing to keep the identity of the tipster anonymous. Beginning Tuesday, November 15, 2016, a new free mobile app will provide citizens with an easier and more efficient way to submit information to help solve and prevent crimes or other serious or life threatening matters.Crime Stoppers is partnering with Texas-based Anderson Software to provide the upgrade in technology to better meet the needs of smart phone users. Anderson Software leads the industry with its latest secure and anonymous tip acquisition and management solution, called P3 Intel. This partnership allows Champaign County to foster a relationship between law enforcement and the public to proactively create safer neighborhoods.
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County will continue to accept tips at our TIPS phone line 373-TIPS, and at our website 373tips.com. But tips will no longer be accepted via SMS text messages. Instead, tips will be accepted through the new free P3 Tips mobile app available on the iOS and Android platforms, greatly enhancing the mobile tip submission process. Still completely anonymous, tips submitted through the P3 mobile app, unlike SMS text tips, have no length limitations and allow images, video and documents to be uploaded with the tip. Anderson Software’s sophistication encryption processes obscure any and all identifying information and provides assured anonymity for tipsters.
Champaign County Crime Stoppers Coordinator Wins National Award
September 27, 2016
Crime Stoppers of Champaign County is very proud to announce that our former Law Enforcement Coordinator, Troy Daniels, has been named as the recipient of the highest honor awarded by Crime Stoppers USA. Daniels, who serves as Deputy Chief of the Champaign Police Department, received the Chairman's Award, on September 27, 2016, at the Crime Stoppers USA Conference held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
John Lamb, former chairman of Crime Stoppers USA, nominated Daniels for the award to recognize Daniels’s work for Crime Stoppers throughout his career. He said, "Troy Daniels has gone above and beyond on the national level for Crime Stoppers. That is what the award recognizes. He has sacrificed his time and energy on trips to Washington DC and multiple meetings with Congressmen and Senators as well as White House Officials trying to make this country a safer place to live. I also chose him because of his level of commitment to the organization."
"It’s been my honor and pleasure to work with these men and women from across the country with Crime Stoppers USA", Deputy Chief Daniels said. "I feel Blessed to be able to work with something I really believe in and I know Crime Stoppers helps a lot of people stay safe by keeping them anonymous. There have been a lot of people arrested through Crime Stopper tips that would not have been arrested without Crime Stoppers."
Daniels served as the Law Enforcement Coordinator for Crime Stoppers of Champaign County for 15 years, and continues to serve as an advisory member to the Board of Directors. "We are extremely pleased that Troy has received national recognition for his work that has moved the Crime Stoppers program forward on a local as well as a national level", said John Hecker, President of the Board of Directors of Crime Stoppers of Champaign County. "Troy has been a tireless leader for the betterment of the program and richly deserves this prestigious award."
Congratulations Troy!
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