Westchester County NY Government

March 25, 2011 -- County Executive Robert P. Astorino this week welcomed Crime Stoppers back to Westchester and urged the public to support the program's partnership with law enforcement to identify and apprehend criminals.

Westchester County Crime Stoppers, which had been dormant in recent years, held an Inaugural Breakfast Thursday at The Wartburg Adult Care Community in Mount Vernon to highlight that it was back in business.

"Crime Stoppers, which is run by civilian volunteers, is a terrific partnership between the public and law enforcement," Astorino said in a keynote address at the event. "It is a valuable tool for police to utilize in challenging investigations and difficult-to-solve crimes."

Astorino said Crime Stoppers needs financial support from the public to be able to offer rewards of up to $1,000 for information in selected criminal cases.

Crime Stoppers is being revived under the leadership of its Chairperson, Derickson K. Lawrence of Mount Vernon, an executive in the banking and financial services industry. WCCS is rebuilding support for its mission to assist law enforcement in Westchester and adjoining communities to mitigate and solve crimes.

As a volunteer civilian organization, WCCS is funded by tax-deductible donations from businesses, clubs, associations and individuals. A fund-raising campaign is currently under way.

"The critical success factors for this organization and its programs are predicated on the cooperative efforts of concerned citizens, the media, and law enforcement agencies," Lawrence said. "As such, the goal is to fight crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit involvement: fear and apathy."

WCCS provides an anonymous toll-free tip line (800-898-8477) to encourage citizens to volunteer vital information that helps law enforcement solve crimes. Tips that lead to an arrest and conviction, in cases designated and advertised by WCCS, will lead to a reward.

Commissioner George N. Longworth of the Department of Public Safety told the gathering how a Crime Stoppers reward helped him develop key evidence needed to arrest the murderer of an 11-year-old boy. That investigation was conducted in the 1990s when Longworth was chief of the Dobbs Ferry Police Department.

"Crime Stoppers' rewards give law enforcement one more tool it can use to identify persons responsible for major crimes and bring them to justice," he said.

The Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association and the New York Law Enforcement Foundation are founding sponsors of WCCS. The Westchester Bank has signed on as a lead corporate sponsor for the organization.

Additional information about WCCS, the Crime Stoppers concept and ways to make a donation can be found at www.WestchesterCrimeStoppers.org