Area residents will soon notice new signs and decals being placed around the community to help promote the Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers in an effort to bring more awareness to the program.
A grant received in 2013 helped to fund the new awareness project which will soon be displayed to help spread the word about Crime Stoppers. In addition to the grant, Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers has invested in their 2013 Phase Community Sign and Decal endeavor and provided 85% matching funds in order to purchase the signs and decals.
According to Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers President Donna Wilhelm, their organization established a working relationship with Taylor Made Sign Shop in Brownwood for their sign and decal needs which started being placed in and around the area.
”We began placing the new decals around the area recently,” said Wilhelm, “We hope this will help not only raise awareness about the Crime Stoppers program, but will encourage the community to report criminal activity anonymously, thus lowering the number of criminal incidents in our community.”
Wilhelm said that local city government and law enforcement support the efforts of the Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers to raise community awareness of crime while lowering the number of incidents.
“Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers is currently placing crime stoppers adhesive decals on city vehicles, law enforcement patrol vehicles and metal trash dumpsters,” said Wilhelm. “We are also in communication with area schools and ready to begin sign placement on school campuses.”
The grant also allows for community signs, Safe School Program campus signs and printed material for participating high schools in the 3-county area served. Once produced and installed, these signs will be posted in school parking lots, perimeter fences, school sport facilities and recreation areas as the school district allows. Printed materials will include posters for inside school buildings, pamphlets, flyers and small, discrete reference/contact cards for students.
“One of the goals of Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers is to raise awareness within communities and continue a visible presence in the communities served,” said Wilhelm.
The organization works at accomplishing this goal by using billboards, adhesive decal/signage, radio broadcasts, television exposure, newspaper articles, school campus programs and community event participation.
In addition to raising community awareness, Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers is focusing on the Safe School Program at area high schools, giving students the anonymous tools to report incidents without fear of reprisal or retribution.
During calendar year 2013, the Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip hotline received 176 tip calls providing 79 crime tips that were passed on to law enforcement. These tips resulted in 11 arrests and 11 rewards paid out to anonymous tipsters. The Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers local phone line handled over 800 calls, while the Board of Directors logged over 700 volunteer hours.
Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers services Brown, Coleman and Mills Counties and is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and is a community project supported by monetary donations, grants and judicial probation fees. Contributions keep the program functional. Donations to the organization remain local and may be tax deductible. Donations can be sent to Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers, P O Box 83, Brownwood, TX 76801.
Pictured at top showing off the new decal on a Brownwood patrol unit – from left to right – Assistant Police Chief James Fuller, Chief Mike Corley, Officer Leighton Wyatt, Officer Kelly Barclay, Officer Fred Bastardo, and Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers President Donna Wilhelm.
Pictured below is Officer Barclay putting the decal on a patrol vehicle.
