HR0535 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0535 LRB096 13334 GRL 28022 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of Crime Stoppers of Decatur and Macon County on the occasion of the organization's 25th anniversary in July of 2009; and

WHEREAS, During the late 1970s, an Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer named Greg MacAleese paid tipsters out of his own pocket for valuable information regarding the apprehension of criminals; he later came up with the idea of allowing all citizens to be able to give tips anonymously and be paid for their service; with this idea, the Crime Stoppers program was born; and

WHEREAS, In July of 1984, Rick Lutovsky, then President of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, attended a conference for Chamber executives in South Carolina and first heard of the Crime Stoppers program; bringing the idea back with him to Decatur, he recruited a board of individuals from a diverse selection of local companies and various occupations in order to form a local chapter of Crime Stoppers; the board's first president was Mark Cheviron and the board's first Police Department Coordinator was Jim Williams, who would later become Decatur's Chief of Police; and

WHEREAS, Crime Stoppers of Decatur and Macon County, like all Crime Stoppers programs, consists of a civilian board with a liaison officer working between the board and law enforcement agencies; the organization also strictly adheres to the policy of keeping tipsters completely anonymous and to the acquisition of funding by private sources, such as corporate and individual donations and fundraising events; and

WHEREAS, Since 1984, Crime Stoppers of Decatur and Macon County has assisted with 1,327 solved cases, 1,263 arrested defendants, $373,424 worth of stolen property recovered, and $286,323 of narcotic wholesale value recovered; the organization has paid out 1,082 rewards worth $212,885; and

WHEREAS, Crime Stoppers of Decatur and Macon County has provided an essential service to the citizens and law enforcement of Decatur and Macon County and has helped make the State of Illinois a safer place for its citizens; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members of Crime Stoppers of Decatur and Macon County on the occasion of the organization's 25th anniversary and wish them continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Crime Stoppers of Decatur and Macon County as a symbol of our esteem and respect.