This week Crime Stoppers would like to make you aware the Springfield Police Department has noticed an increase in Facebook Market Place scams.  To avoid being a victim, research the seller’s profile and be wary of fake accounts with few pictures, friends and posts.  Look to see if they have recently joined Facebook or if they have been on the platform for a while.  While conducting online transactions, consider using a designated E-Commerce Exchange Zone like the lobby of the Springfield Police Department, for safety.

 If you have any information about a crime call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 217-788-8427, submit a tip on this website, Cashfortips.US or use the P3 app.  If your tip results in an arrest you could receive a cash reward up to $2,500.  Remember Crime Stoppers only wants your information, not your name.

Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week
January 26, 2017

Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties.

Crime Stoppers is seeking help to solve a series of armed robberies, which may be related, which all occurred on January 23rd between 7:30 and 10:30 in the evening. In two separate incidents that evening, females walking near Bond and North Grand were robbed by a light skinned black male,possibly Hispanic, who stood 5’9” tall and had what was described as a muscular build. In both instances the cowardly perpetrator forcefully pistol whipped the female victims in the face, one causing injuries which required treatment at a local hospital.

 Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week
 January 19, 2017

Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties.

Not all criminal acts involve shootings, robberies, or burglaries yet all criminal acts have an effect on the community. In late December there were two break-ins to buildings at Washington Park and the culprits inflicted over $5000 worth of damage to park property. This felony was followed up a few nights later by further acts of vandalism to park property and again, costly damage resulted. The perpetrators were likely juveniles who falsely reasoned that since nobody was injured, there was no harm. The fact is, however,  there is significant harm to the very society we live in when we can’t have public parks that are safe from vandalism and destruction.

Crime Stoppers Report of the Week

 January 12, 2017

Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties.

Crime Stoppers is a not-for-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to assisting police by paying rewards for information about criminals and criminal activity. We want to help make our communities safer; and last year we had many successes which were covered in news stories throughout the year. We’ve even initiated special programs to help identify and apprehend those involved in gun violence, such as the special reward for information leading to the arrest of the person -or persons- involved in the homicide of young Alaysia Bennett.

Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties.

In recent years there has been a gradual, but steady increase in gun violence in our country and the loss of life continues to grow. On December 20th 19 year old Alaysia Bennett was killed when a barrage of bullets was fired into a vehicle occupied by her and four other persons, one of them a 3 year old baby. The senseless end of this young girl’s life, a girl who had a bright future ahead of her, brings focus on the dangerous state of affairs we are faced with in the world today- not to mention the near miss of an even greater unimaginable tragedy that could have taken place on that night.
 

Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week
 December 29, 2016

Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties.

Crime Stoppers thanks all of you in Sangamon and Menard Counties for your ongoing support of our program as we close out a  successful year. There was a dramatic increase in the number of tips from the public in 2016 and as a result, we saw a 19% increase in arrests from the previous year. In total there were over 100 arrests directly attributed to Crime Stopper tips leading the Board of Directors of Crime Stoppers to approve over $30,000 in rewards to anonymous tipsters. As a further testament to people’s desire to get involved and help stop criminal activity in the area, there were over two dozen tipsters who did not want a reward even though the information they gave us resulted in an arrest.
 

Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week
 December 22, 2016
 
Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties.
 
This week Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information about an armed robbery to the Family Video store at 19th and North Grand Avenue in Springfield. In the robbery, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m. on December 16th, a white male in his 30’s wearing a tan Carhart  jacket over a dark gray hooded sweatshirt entered the business, indicated he had a handgun, and threatened to shoot the employees. The suspect was described as being approximately 5’11” with a medium build and had light brown or blonde hair. Detectives are reviewing surveillance video of the incident and ID technicians are processing evidence which was collected at the scene. Crime Stoppers is going to pay a cash reward to the person who gives information that helps identify the suspect leading to his arrest.
 
Call the Crime Stopper tip line at 788-8427 to leave an anonymous tip. We also invite you to check out the Crimestopper website Cashfortips.us, remember you also can leave a tip on the website. Let’s put this criminal behind bars.
 
 
 

Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week December 15, 2016 Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties. Crime Stoppers is looking for information about guns which were stolen in a burglary to Letz Hunt and Sport in October. Some of these guns have already been used in shooting incidents in the Springfield area and were probably the weapons used in a number of the recent armed robberies. It’s time for those with knowledge of the whereabouts of these weapons to come forward with information- before additional innocent persons are victimized or worse yet, killed. A failure to take action to prevent a tragic incident is something that just shouldn’t happen. There were 53 weapons stolen in the burglary and although police have recovered several of them, many more remain in Springfield and they need to be taken off the street. If Crime Stoppers gets information that helps in the recovery of a large quantity of weapons we might end up paying the highest reward we’ve ever paid in Springfield. Call us with your tips at 788-8427 or leave a tip on the website cashfortips.us. All tips are anonymous, all rewards are cash, and any information could help save an innocent life.

Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week

 December 8, 2016

Officer Mike Badger, Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Sangamon and Menard counties.

This week’s Crime of the Week involves an armed robbery to the Metro PCS store on Stevenson Drive on December 3^rd at approximately 6:30 in the evening. Two black males in their late teens or twenties entered the mobile phone store and robbed the clerk of the day’s receipts and left the business northbound on foot. The perpetrators both wore black clothing and masks; handguns were used in the commission of the robbery.

For some reason the thugs that commit these type of crimes think the small amount of money they get in armed robberies is worth the years they ultimately spend behind bars for their crimes. Common sense tells us that way of thinking just doesn’t add up. Let’s lock these criminals up so they have time to learn that simple lesson.

If you want to leave an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at 788-8427 or leave an anonymous tip on the Crime Stopper website cashfortips.us. We get tips and pay cash rewards to people who know right from wrong, and we fully respect all tipsters’ anonymity.

A Strong Armed Robbery occurred at Betty’s Place Video Gaming Parlor on Wabash Avenue shortly after noon on November 23rd and Crime Stoppers wants to help police solve this crime. Police have surveillance video images of the incident which began when a black female with a white sweater took a purse which belonged to a patron of the business. Another customer followed the thief outside and attempted to recover the stolen purse but was battered by the perpetrator who was able to escape southbound on foot.

On November 11 at 1130 pm the S & A Convenience Store on East Jackson was robbed by three black males, two of whom displayed handguns. The suspect’s identity was concealed however the clothing they were wearing may help identify them. Suspect one had on a blue or grey hooded sweatshirt with black sleeves and a black hood. It had an SJ logo on the left front of the hoodie and he was wearing white Nike Air Force 1’s. Suspect 2 had his zip-up hoodie inside out, it was white on the inside and probably grey on the outside with a designer emblem on the left front. Number three wore all black, a black baseball cap, and had tattoos on his right wrist.