Thank you, Kalamazoo!

 

100 Web Tips already received through the

new Silent Observer website

  

Kalamazoo County, MI:  The Silent Observer Program of Kalamazoo County has been in existence for over 30 years.  One of the major benefits of the Silent Observer program is its ability to protect the identity of the person reporting the crime. With no fear of reprisal or police involvement, all citizens can take an active role in the safety of their community.

 

On January 1 2008, Silent Observer rolled out its first ever website: www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com, which has been a big hit.  This week the website reached the 100 tips threshold, over 11% of the entire number of Silent Observer calls received last year.  The site allows a citizen to enter an anonymous tip via the internet.  The tipster is then assigned a unique code number, later the tipster can visit the site to check the status of the tip using the unique code.  Another benefit of the site is that Silent Observer volunteers can reply to the tipsters message with additional questions and carry on a two-way communications, while still maintaining anonymity. 

 

Silent Observer has assisted in solving hundreds of crimes, to include homicides, armed robberies, violent assaults and home invasions.  Silent Observer Tips have also been instrumental in the seizure of many illegal firearms and hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegal drugs.  Silent Observer also teams up with the Kalamazoo Gazette, by paying rewards for tips that lead to the arrests of subjects published in the Kalamazoo Most Wanted section of Monday’s paper.

 

Remember:  You have a stake in the safety of your community.  And, thanks to you, it's working!

 

Silent Observer encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and lack of interest.

Silent Observer provides a telephone number and Web Tips to encourage citizens in the community to volunteer vital information helpful to law enforcement agencies in their crime-fighting efforts.

Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment of a felony offender.

Silent Observer relies on volunteer Directors and tax deductible contributions from the public in order to operate the administration of the program.   The only fundraiser for Silent Observer is a sporting clay shoot and raffle, which is planned and organized by officers from the major area police departments and Kalamazoo Rod & Gun Club members. 

UPDATE!

Silent Observer of Kalamazoo County would like to thank the following people and organizations for supporting the 2008 Dale Carpenter Memorial Sporting Clays Shoot and Raffle that was held on August 16^th, 2008:

 

Blue Dolphin Restaurant, Bronson Methodist Hospital, Eve’s Salon Spa, G&M Party Pantry, Tom Fenwick, Harding’s of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Police Supervisor’s Association, Kalamazoo Police Officer’s Association, Kalamazoo Rod and Gun Club, Lowder’s Automotive, Keystone Bank, Mangia Mangia Restaurant, McDonald’s Towing, Midway Chevrolet, Millennium Group, M Spa, National City Bank, Norman’s Camera, On Target, The Radisson, Rave Motion Pictures, Remington Forest Hunt Preserve, Jeff Sorensen, The Soup Kettle, South Street Cigar, TDS Metrocom, Western Michigan University, and Wild Bull Saloon/Monaco Bay.

 

This annual Silent Observer fundraiser was again successful thanks to these sponsors and our participants.

Thank you for helping make Kalamazoo County a safe place to live and work.