Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers

TO LEAVE A TIP CALL:
(217)228-4474

Awards Presented at 2006 State Conference
June 7, 2006

The Illinois State Crime Stoppers Association, along with the DuPage County Crime Stoppers program, recently hosted the 19 th Annual Crime Stoppers Conference and Convention in Lisle, Illinois.

At the awards ceremony, the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers program took home 5 awards that were presented to board members attending the convention. They are:

• Coordinator Of The Year-Officer Gil Feld, Quincy Police Department

• Board Member Of The Year- Mr. Jim Ulm

• Television Station Of The Year- WGEM-TV

• Newspaper Of The Year- The Quincy Herald-Whig

• Contributor Of The Year- County Market

This is the 10th consecutive year that WGEM-TV has won this award.

The Quincy Herald-Whig newspaper has been honored for their award 9 out of the past 10 years since joining the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers organization in 1997.

The Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters for making this one of the best programs in the state of Illinois!

Training for the Midwest Monster Adventure Race
By Kelly Wilson Herald-Whig Staff Writer
February 15, 2006

Eric Peters has some advice for those who want to compete in the fourth annual Midwest Monster Adventure Race in September: Start training now.
"Anybody in general fitness and good health could finish this race with just a little training," he said.
Peters knows from experience.
"I've done it all three years and I plan on doing it this year," he said of the Monster, a grueling test of endurance, strength and teamwork.
This year's race, which begins at 7 a.m. Sept. 23 in South Park, will involve bicycling, carrying sandbags, navigating an obstacle course, orienteering, riding an inner tube on a river course and running.
Two-person and four-person teams can enter. The four-person teams must be co-ed.
Peters says that even though the race is more than seven months away, he's already running, lifting weights and playing basketball to stay fit. About three months before the race, he'll focus more specifically on cycling and running, and will continue to lift weights.
"I'll try to go out and ride 30 to 40 miles on the bike as it gets closer, and do one long run during the week, eight to 10 miles," Peters said.
"Spending time on the bike is real important. The bike is typically the first event, and if you don't train, it really stresses your legs out, and the rest of the day your legs are gone and it's harder."
Peters says that as race day approaches, he'll also get out his compass and refresh his math skills to prepare for the orienteering portion of the course.
Eric Ley, a physical therapist and certified athletic trainer at Advance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, says people of varying fitness levels can train to enter the Monster.
"But a person needs to take it seriously," he said. "It is not something you can just go out and do. If you're not going to take the training seriously, then don't do it."
Ley emphasizes the importance of training as a team. During the race, team members must remain within 100 yards of each other.
"It is important to get together once a week if you can ... at least once every two weeks," said Ley, who participated in the first Monster race.
"It develops that sense of where the team is at."
He suggests training for each discipline individually, as well as in combinations - such as cycling and running in the same training session. He suggests doing shorter workouts during the week, with a longer combination workout on the weekend.
"Try not to let weather have any effect on whether you train or not.
Sure enough, if you fail to practice on a rainy day, it is going to rain (on race) day," Ley said.
Weight lifting also is important, particularly because of the sandbag carry.
"You're going to use every muscle group in your body to do it, so make sure you're doing a complete workout," Ley said.
"Another thing to practice is how you're going to hydrate and how you're going to use the energy gels or power bars," he said. "Practice that, so you develop a sense of what your body needs."
Peters agrees.
"You see a lot of people 'hit the wall' because they don't have the right nutrition," he said. "You have to understand how many calories you burn in an hour so you can replenish those calories during the race."
Peters says another mistake people make is packing too much gear on race day.
"Packing as light as possible is a benefit," he said.
Kevin Curran, race co-director, says the Midwest Monster Adventure Race is quickly becoming "Quincy's next big annual event."
Nearly 170 people participated last year - the third year of the race - and Curran expects about 200 brave souls this year. Quincy's South Park will serve as race headquarters for the second consecutive year.
"It was such a godsend to be able to handle volunteers and logistics and to coordinate everything in Quincy," Curran said. The first two races were at Siloam Springs.
"A big portion happens right in South Park," he said. "But we also hope to utilize other Quincy parks and we will have routes that run along the riverfront and down near the levees and up into the bluffs."
The long course is a United States Adventure Racing Association sanctioned event, which means it must be an average of six hours from start to finish.
The winner will earn a spot at the USARA nationals, to be held in November in Florida.
Curran says participants will notice some differences this year. For instance, the 30-mile bicycle course will go off-road more than last year, and the 10-mile running route will be different than the bicycle route.
The ride on the river will be "very different than it was last year," he said. "It will be a surprise ... and a real challenge for a true adventure racer."
In addition to the obstacle course, Curran says other obstacles will appear
during other parts of the race.
The short course will take three to four hours to accomplish, and will not include the orienteering portion of the long course, and the distances of the other events will be shorter.
"Any person with some training can prepare for either the shorter or longer race," Curran says. "It's not just for the elite athletes."
The race is a not-for-profit event with proceeds benefiting the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers. The first three races have raised about $17,000 combined.
"Those funds are rewards for (Crime Stoppers) tipsters," Curran said.
To register for the Monster, go to www.monsteradventure.com or call Curran at (217) 223-1063.

The Long Course
* 30-mile mountain bike ride over paved roads, gravel roads and trails
* 40-pound sandbag carry
* Navigate through dense foliage with the help of a compass
* Navigate an obstacle course
* Inner-tube ride on the Mississippi River
* 10-mile run along the river and through various portions of Quincy's parks

The Short Course
* 20-mile bike ride
* 40-pound sandbag carry
* Navigate an obstacle course
* 6- to 8-mile run
* May include a ride on the river

Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers Announces $1000 Scholarship

Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers is pleased to announce that it is providing a $1000 college scholarship to one Adams County high school senior for the 2005-2006 school year. The purpose of this scholarship is to assist a student who intends to pursue a career in law enforcement or criminal justice. This scholarship is made possible by the donations of local citizens and businesses and through the cooperation of area crime prevention officials and organizations. To be eligible for this scholarship, the applicant must finish their high school senior year by June 30th, 2006, and be a permanent resident of Adams County at the time of graduation. The scholarship is intended for the high school senior that has a declared educational interest or intended major in criminal justice as a degree or course of study. The Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers Scholarship is granted for the purpose of assisting with the costs of tuition, books, and fees and will be paid directly to the college attended by the selected recipient.

RUNNING, BIKING, CANOEING - IT'S A ADVENTURE RACE
By Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer
August 30, 2004

Scott Lucey and his Quincy Fire Department teammates will have a bullseye on their backs when they attempt to repeat as Midwest Monster Adventure race winners Sept. 18. Well, maybe not a bullseye — but they will have yellow jerseys. Event organizer Mike Pigg of the Illinois State Police is making Lucey, Sean Dean, Jeff Duesterhaus and Jane Frazier wear yellow shirts to signify they are the race favorites. Last year, 49 teams competed in the unique event at Siloam Springs Park, which featured running, biking, an obstacle course, canoeing and a navigation course. "Mike Pigg told us we would wear yellow jerseys so that will make people chase us down," Lucey said. "Well, we aren't big smack-talkers, but he forced it out of us." Lucey's team won the event — which is a fund-raiser for Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers — last year in five hours and 21 minutes, but he doesn't consider his team the favorites this year. "I think we have a good chance of repeating if everything goes as smoothly for us as last year," Lucey said. "The satisfaction of finishing a race that's 45 miles long, that's a pretty neat deal. It feels good to get the race done." Lucey says his team is training by riding bikes before work and running every fifth day. The 11-mile run at the end of the race was the hardest part last year, he said.

Pigg said there have been several changes made in the course this year, including a new 30-mile bike course with more hills and challenging terrain. Contestants also will carry 40-pound sandbags instead of timber during the second portion of the race, which is an almost two-mile hike. The course will start and end in Siloam Springs and is spread out over Brown, Pike and Adams counties. Last year the course started at Quincy Regional Airport. "Logistically it's a lot easier to start it and end it in one place, because last year contestants had to shuttle back to the airport to pick up their cars," Pigg said. "We are encouraging teams to camp out at Siloam Springs with their teammates."

The navigation course is one of the toughest parts, he said. "We had teams that were lost for three or four hours last year," Pigg said. "Teams with experience in reading the compass are in good shape. That will make or break your team." Pigg is hoping last year's successful race, which raised $5,500 for Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers, will grow from word of mouth. Referrals will get teams $100 off the $300 entry fee, and teams can register at www.monsteradventure.com .

Prizes for the top three places in different age categories will be awarded. Each contestant gets a T-shirt and a dinner at Tony's Old Place in Quincy before the race, and a post-race meal. The race lowered the age limitation from 18 to 16 this year. Teams from the Tri-State region competed last year, as did a team from Texas. The four-person team must have at least one person of the opposite sex.

Also new this year is a solo category. Entrants not on a team can sign up for $100 and compete in every category except the two-person canoe event. Volunteers are needed for the event, and a volunteer meeting takes place at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at Tony's Old Place.

A Quincy firefighters team wins the inaugural event at Siloam Springs State Park
By Steve Eighinger Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Sunday, September 21, 2003

Mark Kummerfeldt said adventure races provide a niche for a specific kind of athlete. "This is a great sport for people who are athletic and in shape, but not necessarily an elite runner or an elite biker," Kummerfeldt said. Kummerfeldt was part of a team from Springfield, Mo., that competed in Saturday's first-ever Midwest Monster Adventure Race at Siloam Springs State Park. The event served as a fund- raiser for Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers. Adventure races are one of the latest fads in the growing world of extreme sports, offering a combined competition involving such outdoor challenges as biking, running, canoeing and negotiating an obstacle course. Adventure races can last as long as 24 hours. The Midwest Monster event was designed to be about six hours in length, considered a "sprint" in adventure race jargon. The Siloam Springs competition drew 48 co-ed teams. The four-person squads had to have a minimum of one female. The highlights of Saturday's itinerary included a 30-mile mountain bike ride over gravel roads and trails, transporting a 12-foot timber 1.7 miles through the trails at Siloam Springs, a 2-mile canoe trip on Lake Siloam, maneuvering through an obstacle course and an 11-mile run through the park.

The Quincy firefighters entry of Scott Lucey, Sean Dean, Jeff Duesterhaus and Jane Duesterhaus finished first overall in 5 hours, 26 minutes, 39 seconds. Competition began at daybreak with the biking competition. "It was 46 degrees when we started and my hands and toes were numb for awhile," Kummereldt said. By mid-day, the thermometer had reached the high 60s and conditions were ideal. The only breaks in the race came during the brief transition periods between the different stages, when for five minutes the competitors might be able to stretch or eat an apple for a quick energy boost. "The distance is the toughest thing," said Jeff Lambeth, also of Springfield, Mo., and a teammate of Kummerfeldt. "You have to pace yourself. You have to know your strengths and be able to help your teammates." The organization of the event repeatedly drew praise from competitors, including Laura Atsett of Downers Grove, a triathlete who traveled five hours to be involved. "Everyone was friendly and helpful," Atsett said. /'1 got stung by a bee and medical people were right there to give me some ice. I always felt safe here." That wasn't the case for Atsett when she competed in an adventure race in the upper peninsula of Michigan. She said it was a 24-hour event and a terrible experience. "Our team was lost for six hours," Atsett said. "The checkpoints were not well-manned and the people were rude." Atsett said Midwest Monster race organizers can already count her as a repeat participant for next year's event. "I'll definitely be back," she said.

Mike Pigg of the Illinois State Police coordinated the event and estimated it would raise about $5,000 for Crime Stoppers. He said in the near future the event will be scrutinized to see where it can be made stronger and even more popular. Pigg foresees the size of the field doubling in the not-too-distant future. "I can only see this getting bigger and better," Pigg said. "We'll soon start planning for next year's race."

The entry fee for this year's event was $200 per team, with cash prizes awarded to the top three teams in three age divisions. Event sponsors included Home Depot, Lusage Solutions and Advance Physical Therapy.

Monster Adventure Race will benefit Crime Stoppers
Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 12, 2003

You don’t have to be a monster to take part in this unusual race next fall — three reliable teammates will work just fine. Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers announced this morning that the Midwest Monster Adventure Race will take place Sept. 20. This unusual event, which will stretch from Quincy Regional Airport to Siloam Springs State Park, is touted as a true challenge to strength, endurance and team commitment. Coed four-member teams will test their skills in biking, running, canoeing, orienteering and rope maneuvering. Team members must stay within 100 yards of each other at all times or the team will be disqualified. “It’s a team event, so you’ll only be as fast as the slowest person,” said event chairman Mike Pigg of Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers. “You will find out how close of a group you are.” All proceeds will go to the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers. “Crime Stoppers is always trying to think outside of the box,” Pigg said. “We’re always trying to do new things to raise money.” The adventure is scheduled to start at dawn Saturday, Sept. 20, and begins at the Quincy Regional Airport. The event involves: • A 30-mile mountain bike ride over gravel roads and trails; • Transporting a 12-foot timber 1.7 miles through the trails of Siloam Springs State Park; • Navigating the dense foliage of Siloam Springs State Park with only a compass through four checkpoints; • A ropes course developed by the Army National Guard; • Canoeing across Lake Siloam; and • Finishing with an 11-mile run around Lake Siloam and parts of the park. Kevin Curran, president of the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers, said he hopes the Monster Adventure becomes “the area’s next big event.” Pigg, an Illinois State Police trooper, got the idea after watching an Eco-Challenge race on television a few years ago. He says local state troopers already have formed a team and are challenging other law enforcement and emergency services personnel to compete. “The city (Quincy Police Department) is doing the same thing, as is the county (Adams County Sheriff’s Department),” Pigg said. “They are friendly challenges to other police and fire departments. Who is better — the police or the fire department? It’s a friendly competition and I hope it sparks some enthusiasm.” Pigg said he is hoping for 100 teams the first year. A Web site (www.monsteradventure.com) has been created and organizers are advertising nationally. “Ultimately I would like to get 250 teams and 1,000 race participants,” Pigg said. Sponsors are being sought. Registration is $200 per team, and at least one member of the four-person team must be of the opposite sex. In six years, Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers has fielded more than 2,000 calls and solved nearly 500 cases. It has recovered $158,300.51 worth of property and paid out more than $40,000 in rewards.

Officer Feld back on patrol
Posted Saturday, December 7, 2002
Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer

The hand-written sign on the door of the Quincy Police Department Pro-Act Unit says it all: “Gil Feld has left the building.”
Feld himself put the sign up in a show of his self-deprecating humor. The veteran QPD officer is going back to the QPD patrol unit this month after nearly six years with the Pro-Act Unit and Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers.
“I just felt it was time for a change, new blood, fresh ideas,” said Feld, who’s been a QPD officer since 1985 and will work the midnight patrol shift starting in January. “I’ve met just about all of the goals I wanted to meet since I started here.”
One of his main goals was getting Crime Stoppers up and running. With Adams County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Kathy Carver, Illinois State Police Sgt. Mike Pigg and a dedicated board of directors, Feld has helped turn the local Crime Stoppers unit into one of the state’s best.
Crime Stoppers gets tips from citizens regarding local crimes. It offers cash rewards for information leading to arrests.
Since February 1997, 2,140 calls have been received, 612 arrests made, 509 cases solved, 131 criminal cases solved, and $158,500.51 worth of drugs and property recovered. Feld has been named Illinois State Crime Stopper Coordinator of the Year twice.
“I feel we have one of the best boards and one of the hardest-working boards,” Feld said. “I think it’s one of the best groups in the state. I definitely plan on staying in touch with them.”
Feld’s father, Gilbert, and grandfather, Aldo, both served as Quincy Police Department officers. It took him three tries to make the force in 1985. He and his high school sweetheart, Kelly, have been married 20 years.
He says he’ll miss working in the Pro-Act Unit office.
“The best part about it was when I came off patrol I was working with 2 percent of the people who caused 98 percent of the problems,” he said. “Here, I was dealing with 98 percent of the people who were interested in helping and working with you.”
QPD officer Kelly VanderMaiden is taking Feld’s place with Crime Stoppers and Pro-Act.
“I think Kelly will do a great job,” said Pro-Act officer John Douglas. “But she will have some awfully big shoes to fill.”
Feld is already back on patrol this month helping out with a staff shortage. VanderMaiden, a former social worker at Transitions and QPD patrol officer for three years, started training last month.
“I just like going out into the community and promoting the positive aspects of police work,” she said. “I do miss patrol but this is an exciting opportunity.”
Being a social worker for five years helped prepare her for a career in police work, she said.
“Believe it or not, there are a lot of similarities,” VanderMaiden said. “They both involve dealing with people and talking to all different kinds of people, and both jobs involve a lot of problem-solving.”
VanderMaiden’s husband, Doug, works for QPD’s Street Crimes unit. The couple is expecting their first child in February.
VanderMaiden said working with Crime Stoppers was one of the main reasons she joined the Pro-Act Unit.
“It gets the community involved,” she said. “We get people who call in regularly to see if the rewards are still out ... people seem genuinely interested in wanting to do the right thing.”

Harlem All-Stars use basketball, comedy to send positive message to kids
Posted Friday, September 27, 2002
By Andy Egenes Herald-Whig Staff Writer

All you need is the right touch to grab a child's attention.

A pair of Harlem All-Stars proved that Friday afternoon during a half-hour assembly at Berrian School.

While wowing 140 students with basketball tricks, John Merrifield managed to intertwine a message about making education a top priority in life and staying away from drugs and alcohol.

The basketball players will continue spreading that message tonight when they take on a team of local celebrities in a game at 6 p.m. at Blue Devil Gym. Doors to the gym will open at 5p.m.

The game will raise money for the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at all Quincy County Market locations and the Mercantile Bank at Fourth and Maine.

Merrifield, an Illinois State Police Trooper and a 12-year member of the Harlem All-Stars, said the group's popularity with youngsters hinges on how players present their message.

“You need a hook,” said Merrifield, who played for Charlie Spoonhour (who later coached at Southwest Missouri State and Saint Louis University and is now at Nevada-Las Vegas) during his junior college days in Burlington, Iowa.

“When you got the uniform on and a basketball ... that's enough to get a message across. You heard some of them. They were answering some of the questions before I could get them out.”

Among the questions asked to the students were: What to do when a stranger is bothering you? What is the first thing you should do when you get into the car?

The answers: call 911 and buckle your seat belt.

One of the assembly's highlights came when Merrifield began spinning a ball on his finger and put it on an ink pen. While the ball was spinning on the ink pen, he handed the pen to first-grader Erica Robbins, who held the pen without dropping the spinning ball.

Merrifield was joined by first-year Harlem All-Star Alden Smith and Quincy Police Officer Gil Feld, who has been with the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers since 1997.

Feld said bringing the All-Stars to an elementary school provides an avenue that ultimately makes the children feel better about themselves.

“It just says, ‘Look, I'm a Harlem All-Star, but you can also be whatever you want whether it's a firefighter, a teacher or a paramedic,” Feld said. “So that's why we like to have them here.”

Smith, who played college basketball at Texas Southern, said it's important for children to be taught how everyday life decisions play a role in accomplishing one's goals.

“I could be home right now frying my brain in front of the TV, but it's my desire to do something positive with my time,” Smith said. “So when I learned about the opportunity to join the Harlem All-Stars, and knowing you're going to be with the right group of people, it makes the experience all the more worthwhile.”

The entire Harlem All-Star team will be at Wal-Mart from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today to sign autographs.

Crime Stoppers Founder Featured Speaker in Quincy
May 4, 2002
By Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Greg MacAleese looks back at 25 years of Crime Stoppers and shakes his head
in amazement. "It's lasted about 24 years longer than I thought it would," he said with a smile Friday.

MacAleese was the featured speaker at the 15th annual Illinois State Crime Stoppers Association Convention at the Quincy Holiday Inn. He founded the community-based organization in September 1976 in Albuquerque, N.M., where he worked as a police detective.

Since its inception, Crime Stoppers has solved 881,000 cases, recovered more than $5 billion in stolen property and narcotics, and handed out $57 million in reward money.

"We were trying to look at how to turn the public's attitude around about
dealing with crime and taking a look at what I felt was a lack of cooperation with the public," MacAleese said. "It came down to two issues - fear and apathy. For people who were afraid, we wanted to have them remain anonymous, and the apathetic individual, we nudged them with reward offerings."

MacAleese says the success of Crime Stoppers, now active in 22 countries and about to start a new chapter in Russia, is because of media involvement, local structure and success breeding success.

More than 900 communities around the world set up non-profit organizations run by a volunteer board of directors. People can anonymously provide tips on crimes to a phone number. Law enforcement works with local media on a "Crime of the Week" to locate witnesses who have information, leading to a solution to the crime.

"The principals on which it was founded have remained the same. They've never changed," MacAleese said. "And nothing breeds success like success. If you make an arrest off of a Crime Stoppers tip and it's publicized or known on the street, that just motivates other people to pick up the phone and call."

MacAleese was a sports writer for the Associated Press until he developed a bleeding ulcer. "My doctor told me to find a less stressful job, and I became a cop," he said with a laugh.

His media background helped him launch Crime Stoppers in Albuquerque. The
city led the nation in per capita crime for three straight years in the 1970s, and MacAleese founded Crime Stoppers in part as a solution. He challenged local chapters in Quincy this weekend to remain relevant and said it was important to start looking for the next generation of coordinators and board members now.

"That's one of the biggest developments in Crime Stoppers in the last 10 years, when we started bringing it into the schools and providing scholastic Crime Stoppers," MacAleese said. "That's setting ourselves up for the next generation of board members."

Now retired and living in Colorado, MacAleese helped found Law Enforcement
Technologies, Inc., which provides innovative tools for departments. He showed off an instant shooter identification kit which helps officers provide immediate confirmation of recent gun use.

About 150 people are attending the convention, which featured sessions on U.S. Marshal Service Violent Fugitive Task Force, homeland security, gang awareness and personal safety on Friday.

This morning's general session features discussion about the Quincy
Regional Crime Stoppers at a crossroads.

Tip to Crime Stoppers hotline leads to arrest
Excerpt taken from the Quincy Herald-Whig - Posted Thursday, April 18, 2002
Courtesy of The Herald Whig

A tip to the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers hotline Tuesday led to the arrest of a Quincy woman wanted on several warrants. The fugitive's picture had been broadcast Tuesday evening on a local television station. After a call to the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers hotline, Quincy police went to 917 N. Ninth and found the woman. Arrested at 8:25 p.m. was Stacie B. Herpin, 20, of 1016 Locust, on new changes of aggravated battery and resisting arrest after the woman struggled and kicked an officer in the leg.

Herpin was wanted on three warrants, for failure to appear on charges of fleeing to elude police, felony retail theft, and possession of fireworks and cannabis. These Adams County warrants were issued between April 5 and 10. She was lodged in the Adams County Jail.

Downey: Public defender's job is to ensure fair trial
Posted Saturday, August 11, 2001
Courtesy of The Herald Whig

To The Herald-Whig:
I was pleased to read that Crime Stoppers is now back in business. The Crime Stoppers program now recognizes the constitutional rights of the accused as an exception to its "anonymous" policy. This was the right thing to do. The Public Defender's office has never been against the Crime Stoppers program. We are not for crime (as we sometime have been accused) any more than cardiologists are for heart attacks.

The Russo case where I subpoenaed the Ameritech phone company's records (not the Crime Stoppers records) was a necessary and constitutional process. Those subpoenaed records contained phone numbers of those who reported the crime tip. One of those who called and reported the murder with great detail spelled out facts that only one who was present at the scene would know.

The State's Attorney's office used the Crime Stoppers report in its search warrant request before an Adams County judge. The search warrant attached the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers report which stated, in part: "Caller states the following: Heard that a (victim) had been murdered by a man named Russo. Heard the body had been cut up and the head was buried under the front porch of (neighbor), 300 Cedar, Apt. 13. Heard that it was possible retaliation because (victim) had shot and killed (another person). Russo has something to do with the (other person's family)." Note: The names of certain parties have been excluded here, but were not excluded in the Crime Stoppers report nor the request for a search warrant.

The Illinois and U.S. constitutions provide that those accused of crimes be allowed to confront witnesses against them and requires due process (fairness) of trials. It seemed obvious to me that the person reporting the crime tip had talked to someone who had witnessed the murder. I had an obligation to find that person to properly defend Mr. Russo.

As chief public defender, I have received calls from judges (not this circuit or county), doctors, insurance agents, etc., concerned about their brothers, sons, daughters, sisters, etc., who have been charged with crimes in Adams County. They all want the same thing - fair treatment of their family member and a fair trial if a trial is necessary. That's my job. That's what we do.

Edward K. Downey
Chief Public Defender
Adams County, Ill.

Saving Crime Stoppers
Posted Tuesday, August 7, 2001
Courtesy of The Herald Whig

Local agreement helps ensure the group will continue its good work

LOCAL law enforcement officials are to be commended for agreeing to procedures that will ensure the continued operation of the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers program.

The local Crime Stoppers board suspended activities June 15 after attorneys representing murder suspect Robert Russo were able to subpoena records that enabled them to determine the identity of someone who provided Crime Stoppers with information about the case.

The board reinstated the program Aug. 2 after the Quincy Police Department and the state's attorney's office and sheriff's department in Adams County agreed on new measures to protect the identity of informants.

Confidentiality has been the key to the success of the program, which gives cash rewards to people who provide information that helps solve crimes.

The Quincy program, one of 65 in Illinois, has received 1,705 calls that led to 450 arrests and enabled authorities to solve 386 cases since it was established five years ago.

When confidentiality was breached, it posed problems not only for the Quincy program but
for Crime Stoppers operations worldwide.

There are 1,000 programs in the United States and affiliates in 13 countries, and this was the first time a caller's identity was learned.

Law enforcement officials and Crime Stoppers supporters everywhere saw this as a threat to the existence of the program and the benefits it brings to the communities it serves. They looked for Adams County to point the way toward a solution, and were not disappointed.

The agreement affirms that the three law enforcement agencies will not disclose the identity of callers and will notify Crime Stoppers if information is again subpoenaed. That notice will allow Crime Stoppers to oppose those disclosures in court.

The agreement has three exemptions. There is no anonymity privilege if a caller says he or she intends to commit a crime, admits to being involved in a crime or if confidentiality will result in a violation of someone else's constitutional rights.

While this local agreement may serve as a model for other chapters, the ultimate solution is legislation at the state or federal level.

Such efforts should be undertaken as soon as possible to ensure that Crime Stoppers can continue to serve this and other communities as well in the future as it has in the past.

Anonymity must be guaranteed for Crime Stoppers to work
Posted Thursday, July 5, 2001
Courtesy of The Herald Whig

To The Herald-Whig:
In 1976, detectives for the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico developed an important concept - an anonymous telephone line for those with information about crimes to call with vital information that would help police solve crimes. This idea grew into Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers. It has now been copied by more than 1,000 programs in 16 countries. Hundreds of thousands of crimes have been solved worldwide.

Police detectives, fortunate enough to have a Crime Stoppers program in their area, repeatedly credit Crime Stoppers for information that has led to the arrest of very dangerous criminals.

Twenty-five years later, and in an era of television shows such as "America's Most Wanted," it is hard to remember that an anonymous tipsline was a revolutionary idea. Not only revolutionary, but necessary.

Law-abiding citizens are often afraid to step forward with information about a crime or the location of a fugitive because they fear retaliation by the criminal(s). Crime Stoppers programs provide a simple tool that allows police to get the vital information without endangering tipsters. Not-so-law-abiding citizens are often the people with information that, otherwise, would not be learned by the police. Police and prosecutors want and need this information. Without Crime Stoppers, they would not receive it.

As the original Crime Stoppers program, I am writing on behalf of our board of directors, our police coordinators and myself to extend our support to the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers program during this difficult time. To have the program's telephone records subpoenaed and a tipster tracked down sends shock waves through all Crime Stoppers programs throughout the world.

We urge the citizens of the Quincy region to let prosecutors and defenders understand that they have broken a sacred trust. Yes, it is important to prosecute the (murderer, Robert Russo.) But if tipsters lose faith in the anonymity of Crime Stoppers, how many other crimes, including murders, will go unsolved? How many offenders will be left on the streets to, once again, terrorize innocent citizens?

Eileen Maddock
Executive Director
Albuquerque (N.M.) Metropolitan Crime Stoppers Inc.

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