The University of Cincinnati Student Government Alliance and the University of Cincinnati Police Department look to further encourage students to report crimes by means of emulating the reward-based Crime Stoppers system, which is a community-driven organization providing information to law enforcement agencies.
Student Government is currently exploring the addition of a possible rewards incentive to 556-COPS, UCPD's tip line. Regularly listed at the bottom of safety alerts, student usage of the line is diminutive, according to Jared Brandyberry, UC Student Government vice president.
Brandyberry cites the lack of promotion and general awareness of the service as the primary reason why students have not utilized it to Student Government and UCPD expectations. Capt. Karen Patterson of the UCPD concurred with Brandyberry's assessment.
"I am 100 percent supportive of any incentive-based initiative to the tip line," Patterson said. She also said the tip line has been in effect for roughly 10 years.
Patterson expressed concern over the lackluster effort to promote the tip line, adding that acute criminal offenses customarily run through the local Crime Stoppers network and for less severe offenses the university tip line is more commonly used.
"We will try to make the Web site describing the site more available to students through the safety notices sent out, and to make sure that students know about the rewards available to them by using the line," Brandyberry said.
Since its inception in 1980, the successful growth of the Crime Stoppers chapter of Greater Cincinnati area allows the public to provide key information to law enforcement bureaus on crimes without revealing their identities, according to the organization's Web site. Student Government and UCPD, with the addition of incentives, aim to develop a similar, localized crime-preventing community.
Under the Student Government plan, information leading to an arrest is worthy of a reward. In order to protect the student's anonymity when he or she calls the hotline, a confidential pin number is assigned. After two weeks, the student is invited to the public safety office to claim a maximum reward of $100, according to Brandyberry.
"We think that students that observe crimes may be afraid or may not know an effective way to report the crimes," Brandyberry said. "With the rewards and the promotion of the line, we hope that they will feel comfortable and interested in reporting crimes."
Funding for the incentives is currently awaiting the endorsement of the Undergraduate Student Senate. During the meeting scheduled for April 16, a $2,000 appropriations bill is set to be presented for approval.
"Hopefully, it will be passed and the funding for the first year will be supplied by that $2,000," Brandyberry said. "In the future we are hoping to get business vendors involved to supply the program with coupons and gift certificates."
The moment funding is supplied, Student Government and UCPD plan to aggressively promote the hotline to students and allot rewards, according to Brandyberry.
For more information about 556-COPS or any other information contact the Student Government Association at 513-556-6107, stop in at 655 Steger Student Life Center, contact public safety at 513-556-4900 or stop in at Three Edwards Center.
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