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2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Friday, September 18, 2009 10:31 PM

Death leads to start of Crime Stoppers

By JENALEA MYERS, Herald Staff Writer

Michael Carmen was a young University of New Mexico student.

He was working at a small gas station in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights in July 1976 and was only two weeks away from marrying his high school sweetheart. On the night he was killed, he was working an extra shift because one of his friends needed the night off.

When two men robbed the gas station and, for no apparent reason, shot Carmen from less than 10 feet away, Det. Greg MacAleese knew something needed to be done.

And so began MacAleese’s effort to create a program that encouraged the public, news media and law enforcement agencies to fight community crime — a program known as Crime Stoppers that is active today locally, nationally and worldwide.

Telling the history of Crime Stoppers and Carmen’s death is part of a series of informational meetings members of the Franklin County Crime Stoppers are having to renew local involvement in the program.

“Crime Stoppers is a liaison between the community and the police department,” Wellsville Police Chief Steve Gillespie said at an informational meeting Tuesday in Wellsville. “It helps bridge that gap.”

The program has been active locally since about 1996, but over the years participation has dwindled, Lt. Allen Campbell, with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, said.

The local group is considering establishing additional ways people can submit tips, like by e-mail or text message, Campbell said. Like tips that are called in, text messages or e-mails would go through a company in Texas that removes identification information to allow the tips to remain anonymous, he said.

Getting youth involved also is a goal for the group. Crime Stoppers in other areas have scholastic programs for youth, Gillespie said.

“They may not be solving murders, but they’re solving vandalism, theft and criminal damage in their schools,” he said.

Making the local Crime Stoppers more active takes people who want to get involved, Gillespie said.

“Solving a crime is like putting together a big puzzle,” he said. “Sometimes, citizens in the community have pieces of the puzzle.”

Remaining Crime Stoppers informational meeting times, dates and locations include:

• 7 p.m. Tuesday — Pomona City Hall and Community Building, 219 W. A St., Pomona.

• 7 p.m. Oct. 1 — Central Heights High School lunch room, 3521 Ellis Road, Richmond.

• 7 p.m. Oct. 6 — Ottawa High School library, 1120 S. Ash St., Ottawa.

For more information about the coming meetings or about the program, contact Campbell at (785) 229-1200 or Gillespie at (785) 883-2691.

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Death leads to start of Crime Stoppers

By JENALEA MYERS, Herald Staff Writer

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.