Head Of Crime Stoppers Fears Program's Future Under Proposed Budget
DORAL (CBS4) - The two veterans running the Crime Stoppers programs in Miami-Dade and Broward fear the program that has been a major weapon in the war against crime in South Florida is in jeopardy.
They say it's all because of a proposed measure in the Governor's budget that would mean that the $3.5 million statewide trust fund for 38 Crime Stoppers programs that is used to pay tipsters would be transferred to the state's general revenue fund. And they say the state could then use those funds for general expenses.
"If this passes and is implemented July 1st with the budget, I'd say a lot of these organizations would have to stop operating and here in Miami, it would be devastating," said Richard Masten, the Executive Director of Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers.
"I don't see any way the programs could keep operating," said Masten. "We would have to stop our outreach efforts that we do and a lot of public operations that we do and it would really challenge our ability to pay the rewards."
Masten told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that Crime Stoppers has helped solve some 700 homicides in Miami-Dade since the program started in 1981. It has helped solve 250 homicides in Broward and has also lead to the recovery of more than $360 million in property, cash and narcotics, according to Broward Crimestoppers Commander Michael Calderin.
"Our concern is that the money will be taken away from the program to the extent where it's actually going to disable the program," said Calderin. "If those monies were moved to the general revenue, then they could be taken anytime for any purpose."
And people who have lost loved ones and who have received help from Crime Stoppers programs are also speaking out.
"It's needed for families like me, it's needed," said Eugenia Garland. She told D'Oench that she's been receiving invaluable help from Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers in the search for the people who killed her brother Michael in September of 2008 while jogging in Miami Gardens. He was a popular Broward County transit bus driver and his case has been featured on "Crime Stoppers Miami," which is broadcast on Saturday nights at 10 p.m. on TV-33.
"They, the people at Crime Stoppers, have been extremely important to me because I think that without crime stoppers and the publicity, my brother's murder, it wouldn't have gotten the publicity that it has. They are not afraid to let people know that we are here, to try to help us solve crimes. You don't have to be identified. You just pick up the phone."
Amy Graham, a spokeswoman for the Governor who works in his Press office, told D'Oench, "The Governor thinks Crime Stoppers is an important program. The funding is not going away. Moving the Crime Stoppers money to the general revenue fund will allow the program to be operated more efficiently. And it will allow the funding to become more transparent, so there's a public record of how the money is spent."
Calderin responded, "I think that statement is a misinformed statement. I think Crime Stoppers is a very transparent program."
"All of our programs and their budgets and expenditures are on line for everyone in the state of Florida to take a look at," said Masten. "These are not tax payers dollars. This is money we take in court fees from suspects and defendants who are guilty."
"Just go to My Florida legal dot com and go to the Attorney General's column and you can see expenditures and reimbursements for each Crime Stoppers Program throughout the state," said Calderin.
