November 6, 2024 • 11 mins
- Harold talks with Jeremy Raley of Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas about the groups work. Jeremy also talks about Crime Stoppers publicizing cold cases.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are talking in Southeast Texas this week. We're visiting
with Jeremy Rayley with Crime Starvers in Southeast Texas program
that's been around for many years. We'll talk about that
as we move along on this segment. But first off, Jeremy,
thank you for joining us a very successful trip to
Waco recently where Crime Stars in Southeast Texas heard his
name called out on multiple occasions.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
We actually did, you know, our media partners are a
big part of that, and one of our awards was
for a cold case that was aired, of course on
iHeart stations, and you know, the Terrell Williams cold case
is still one that's going on. It's a Port Arthur
case and we're just trying to get closure for the
family for that murder that took place. But we were
(00:44):
also recognized for most cases cleared, most property recovered, and
created publicity. And then I actually received the Coordinator of
the Year, and then Robert Blackwell, one of our board members,
received the Richard Carter Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Well, first off, congratulations to both of you, and for
Bobby as I call, I'm Robert Blackwell. Several years ago,
maybe twenty years ago, I was on the crime Stoppers board,
and he was on it way back then. He has
had a big impact. He's seen it grown from Beaumont
Crime Stoppers and then the two South Port Arthur joining
(01:23):
to just a regional Southeast Texas crime Stoppers.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Absolutely, you know, to know that we just started out
as Bowmont crime Stoppers and now we cover Orange County,
Jefferson County, Harden County, and Jasper County is just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Looking at some of the numbers, first off, December twenty
twenty four, filter this through and just talk about a
little bit about some of these numbers where we look
at from tips received on down the line.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
You know, so when we look at numbers, we look
at how many tips have come in for the year
to date and stuff, and so as of right now,
we're right around fifteen hundred tips year to date. That's
a lot of information to come through. We've had officers
follow up with over twenty one hundred tips, and when
you think about since inception of when we were able
to actually document through software, over thirty one thousand tips received.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
And these are tips that a lot of times proved
to be successful and lead to arrests.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Absolutely so you know, this year alone, we've approved over
forty eight thousand dollars just this year in rewards. I
mean that's a big number when you think about it.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Talk about how the money is decided on for which crime.
Because it is an award of up to one thousand dollars,
that doesn't mean you're going to get a thousand dollars
every time.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Out, correct. So we have two parts of our program.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We have a campus program, we have our community program,
and depending on.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
What the tip leads to, we'll dictate the amount.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So we have an actual rewards calculator that has been
agreed upon with the Board of directors, and every tip
is vett it that way. So if it does lead
to either disciplinary action in the school system or an
arrest or property recovered, then we go through that rewards
calculator based on what the crime was and what the
result was, and then that is presented to the board
(03:14):
for approval.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Talk about the campus crime stoppers I know nearly every
if not every nearly every school district in Southeast Texas
takes part of it. What do you look for on
a campus crime stoppers program? Maybe a student seeing something?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
You know it works the same way as our community program.
So if a student see something, we want them to
say something. You know, we have a major issue with
vapes right now on school campuses, fentanyl. Also, bullying is
a very bad subject. We've had multiple kids contemplate suicide
and attempt suicide and unfortunately some have been successful at it,
and so we have intervened with those suicide attempts by
(03:55):
students letting us know that somebody has posted something on
social media or whatever, so they report it, We turn
it into the administration and they do the investigation.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
We are visiting with Jeremy Rayley with the Crime Stars
of Southeast Texas and just so many times someone might
be afraid to call in a tip because maybe some
type of retribution or something. But the key word is anonymous,
that is correct.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Our program is guaranteed one hundred percent anonymity by Government
Code four fourteen. It's a statute that our legislature has
actually you know, approved for us. And with us being
the only one hundred percent anonymous program, you do not
have to worry about being subpoenaed or you know, questioned
(04:41):
or anything like that because.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
We are not worried about who you are we want
to know the facts about what you're reporting.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
How's that work? They make the call and they're given
a code number, And how's the entire process work? If
I want to report a crime?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So there's three ways to report, either by calling in
the number, by going to the website, or by downloading
an app called P three two. Once you submit the tip,
it's sent to investigators. They do the investigation. They let
us know if the tip led to arrest, property recovered
or whatever. Then at that moment it goes to the board.
Once it goes to the board, we then have the
value that the tip reward is worth. We end up
(05:17):
putting a certain passcode assigned to that tip. We deal
with Rave Financial Credit Unions, so all of our reward.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Payouts go through them.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So if you are eligible for a reward, you'll get
that ID number, that pass code. You go to a
Rave credit union, you put it in on a piece
of paper. Crime Stoppers reward the amount, the code, the passcode,
send it in through the drive through. They'll send an
envelope out tax free money.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Easy money, I mean, And you're also getting criminals off
the streets.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
You know, our main goal is to get justice for
victims of crime. And what we always have to realize
is the victim that something happened to is not just
the victim, their family are victims as well.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
When it comes to the numbers, how does say Crime
starvers of Southeast Texas relate to other Crime Stars programs
across the state.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
So when we go to conference, they look at all
the programs based on population, So ours is in between
that two hundred and fifty thousand and one to five
hundred thousand in population. So when we look at that,
we're bringing home the rewards for the most cases cleared,
the most property, hundred dollars recovered, and some of these
(06:33):
other awards.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I mean, I think that we're we're.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Way up there on the top of the line.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Visiting with Jeremy Rady with Crimesters of Southeast Texas. And
it's pretty cool, I know, with you a member of
the heading up the Crime Stars here in Southeast Texas.
Whenever a case is solved, that's pretty cool because it's
not necessarily someone Hey, I'm going after the reward money,
is someone getting you know, the bad guy or bad
(07:01):
gal off the streets.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Absolutely, when we see these tips follow through and the investigators.
Let us know that there did pan out to something.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
You know, that is a good feeling.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Of course, you know, our success is sometimes other people's tragedies, unfortunately,
but at the end result, if justice is served, then
we have won. It's a win win situation.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Tell us about the history of the local crimestoppers program.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
So of course it started out in nineteen eighty one
in Beaumont as far as the Beaumont Police Department, so
it was Beaumont Crime Stoppers. It was actually founded in
a way because Larry Bullyu from KFDM Channel six heard
about it through a sister station, presented it to some
prominent people in Beaumont, John Gray and Ben Rogers and them, and.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
They started the very first crime Stoppers. I mean.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
The crazy thing when you think about fundraising, they would
sell links, they would do just little things on the
side to raise money.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
To pay that reward.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
And the first thousand dollars reward was because of a
theft from one of the schools of a whole bunch
of ban equipment. And so that was the first thousand
dollars reward that was paid out through Beonmont Crime Stoppers.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
We might have touched on this a little bit earlier
in case someone was jumping on to this segment a
little bit late. Just when you sit down as a board,
how do you decide whether it's a one hundred dollars
reward or a thousand dollars reward.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So before it goes to the board, we have what
we call a rewards calculator. That rewards calculator is based
off of a point system, So every point is basically
one hundred dollars. So depending on the severity of the
crime will dictate how many points that actual crime gets. Now,
you may have some of them that stack on top
of each other, such as if they have felony warrants,
(08:44):
but they are evading also, so those are going to
be two different points that are going to have point
systems on them. So one may be one point five,
one may be one, so that be two point five,
which we would round it up to three hundred.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
You're funding where's that come from?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Under the actual government CO four to fourteen. Part of
the Crime Stoppers rules are we have to raise money
either publicly or privately by fundraising sponsorship donors.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
We have to look for grants.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
But we are a five oh one C three nonprofit
that does have to look for fundraising ideas and ways.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
If someone wants to donate to the Crimestoppers of Southeast
Texas program, how can they do so?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
They can email me admin at eight three three tips
dot com or they can even go to our website
eight three three tips dot com and look in there
and there's a section that says support the program.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
If someone out there witnesses a crime in progress, the
highly recommendation is don't get involved, don't confront them, just
call nine one one and let law enforcement handle it
from there and then it truckles down to you guys.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yes, if it's an emergency situation, we do not want
you to try to intervene or get involved or whatever.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Beaumont Police Department has an amazing system now, their real
time Crime Center, which is helping a lot on cases.
So again, you know, at the end of the day,
the number one goal that we want is to again
bring justice to these victims of crime. But we do
not want somebody in the community to get hurt because
they're trying to go and be a hero. Do your
(10:18):
part by reporting it and let the investigators in law
enforcement do the rest.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
As we wrap up this segment. Anything else you'd like
to add?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I just I can't thank iHeart and y'all enough for
everything that y'all do and putting out information that way
our community can be a safer place for everybody to live.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Likewise, and one more time, how can one report a crime?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Either call four nine eight three three tips, go to
the website eight three three tips dot com, or download
the P three tips up on your mobile device.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Jeremy Rayley with the Crime Starfs in Southeast text and
thank you so much for stopping buying this week's program.
And let's get those bad guys and bad gals off
the streets.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
That's it.
We are talking in Southeast Texas this week. We're visiting
with Jeremy Rayley with Crime Starvers in Southeast Texas program
that's been around for many years. We'll talk about that
as we move along on this segment. But first off, Jeremy,
thank you for joining us a very successful trip to
Waco recently where Crime Stars in Southeast Texas heard his
name called out on multiple occasions.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
We actually did, you know, our media partners are a
big part of that, and one of our awards was
for a cold case that was aired, of course on
iHeart stations, and you know, the Terrell Williams cold case
is still one that's going on. It's a Port Arthur
case and we're just trying to get closure for the
family for that murder that took place. But we were
(00:44):
also recognized for most cases cleared, most property recovered, and
created publicity. And then I actually received the Coordinator of
the Year, and then Robert Blackwell, one of our board members,
received the Richard Carter Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Well, first off, congratulations to both of you, and for
Bobby as I call, I'm Robert Blackwell. Several years ago,
maybe twenty years ago, I was on the crime Stoppers board,
and he was on it way back then. He has
had a big impact. He's seen it grown from Beaumont
Crime Stoppers and then the two South Port Arthur joining
(01:23):
to just a regional Southeast Texas crime Stoppers.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Absolutely, you know, to know that we just started out
as Bowmont crime Stoppers and now we cover Orange County,
Jefferson County, Harden County, and Jasper County is just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Looking at some of the numbers, first off, December twenty
twenty four, filter this through and just talk about a
little bit about some of these numbers where we look
at from tips received on down the line.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
You know, so when we look at numbers, we look
at how many tips have come in for the year
to date and stuff, and so as of right now,
we're right around fifteen hundred tips year to date. That's
a lot of information to come through. We've had officers
follow up with over twenty one hundred tips, and when
you think about since inception of when we were able
to actually document through software, over thirty one thousand tips received.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
And these are tips that a lot of times proved
to be successful and lead to arrests.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Absolutely so you know, this year alone, we've approved over
forty eight thousand dollars just this year in rewards. I
mean that's a big number when you think about it.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Talk about how the money is decided on for which crime.
Because it is an award of up to one thousand dollars,
that doesn't mean you're going to get a thousand dollars
every time.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Out, correct. So we have two parts of our program.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We have a campus program, we have our community program,
and depending on.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
What the tip leads to, we'll dictate the amount.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So we have an actual rewards calculator that has been
agreed upon with the Board of directors, and every tip
is vett it that way. So if it does lead
to either disciplinary action in the school system or an
arrest or property recovered, then we go through that rewards
calculator based on what the crime was and what the
result was, and then that is presented to the board
(03:14):
for approval.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Talk about the campus crime stoppers I know nearly every
if not every nearly every school district in Southeast Texas
takes part of it. What do you look for on
a campus crime stoppers program? Maybe a student seeing something?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
You know it works the same way as our community program.
So if a student see something, we want them to
say something. You know, we have a major issue with
vapes right now on school campuses, fentanyl. Also, bullying is
a very bad subject. We've had multiple kids contemplate suicide
and attempt suicide and unfortunately some have been successful at it,
and so we have intervened with those suicide attempts by
(03:55):
students letting us know that somebody has posted something on
social media or whatever, so they report it, We turn
it into the administration and they do the investigation.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
We are visiting with Jeremy Rayley with the Crime Stars
of Southeast Texas and just so many times someone might
be afraid to call in a tip because maybe some
type of retribution or something. But the key word is anonymous,
that is correct.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Our program is guaranteed one hundred percent anonymity by Government
Code four fourteen. It's a statute that our legislature has
actually you know, approved for us. And with us being
the only one hundred percent anonymous program, you do not
have to worry about being subpoenaed or you know, questioned
(04:41):
or anything like that because.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
We are not worried about who you are we want
to know the facts about what you're reporting.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
How's that work? They make the call and they're given
a code number, And how's the entire process work? If
I want to report a crime?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So there's three ways to report, either by calling in
the number, by going to the website, or by downloading
an app called P three two. Once you submit the tip,
it's sent to investigators. They do the investigation. They let
us know if the tip led to arrest, property recovered
or whatever. Then at that moment it goes to the board.
Once it goes to the board, we then have the
value that the tip reward is worth. We end up
(05:17):
putting a certain passcode assigned to that tip. We deal
with Rave Financial Credit Unions, so all of our reward.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Payouts go through them.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So if you are eligible for a reward, you'll get
that ID number, that pass code. You go to a
Rave credit union, you put it in on a piece
of paper. Crime Stoppers reward the amount, the code, the passcode,
send it in through the drive through. They'll send an
envelope out tax free money.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Easy money, I mean, And you're also getting criminals off
the streets.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
You know, our main goal is to get justice for
victims of crime. And what we always have to realize
is the victim that something happened to is not just
the victim, their family are victims as well.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
When it comes to the numbers, how does say Crime
starvers of Southeast Texas relate to other Crime Stars programs
across the state.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
So when we go to conference, they look at all
the programs based on population, So ours is in between
that two hundred and fifty thousand and one to five
hundred thousand in population. So when we look at that,
we're bringing home the rewards for the most cases cleared,
the most property, hundred dollars recovered, and some of these
(06:33):
other awards.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I mean, I think that we're we're.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Way up there on the top of the line.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Visiting with Jeremy Rady with Crimesters of Southeast Texas. And
it's pretty cool, I know, with you a member of
the heading up the Crime Stars here in Southeast Texas.
Whenever a case is solved, that's pretty cool because it's
not necessarily someone Hey, I'm going after the reward money,
is someone getting you know, the bad guy or bad
(07:01):
gal off the streets.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Absolutely, when we see these tips follow through and the investigators.
Let us know that there did pan out to something.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
You know, that is a good feeling.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Of course, you know, our success is sometimes other people's tragedies, unfortunately,
but at the end result, if justice is served, then
we have won. It's a win win situation.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Tell us about the history of the local crimestoppers program.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
So of course it started out in nineteen eighty one
in Beaumont as far as the Beaumont Police Department, so
it was Beaumont Crime Stoppers. It was actually founded in
a way because Larry Bullyu from KFDM Channel six heard
about it through a sister station, presented it to some
prominent people in Beaumont, John Gray and Ben Rogers and them, and.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
They started the very first crime Stoppers. I mean.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
The crazy thing when you think about fundraising, they would
sell links, they would do just little things on the
side to raise money.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
To pay that reward.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
And the first thousand dollars reward was because of a
theft from one of the schools of a whole bunch
of ban equipment. And so that was the first thousand
dollars reward that was paid out through Beonmont Crime Stoppers.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
We might have touched on this a little bit earlier
in case someone was jumping on to this segment a
little bit late. Just when you sit down as a board,
how do you decide whether it's a one hundred dollars
reward or a thousand dollars reward.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So before it goes to the board, we have what
we call a rewards calculator. That rewards calculator is based
off of a point system, So every point is basically
one hundred dollars. So depending on the severity of the
crime will dictate how many points that actual crime gets. Now,
you may have some of them that stack on top
of each other, such as if they have felony warrants,
(08:44):
but they are evading also, so those are going to
be two different points that are going to have point
systems on them. So one may be one point five,
one may be one, so that be two point five,
which we would round it up to three hundred.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
You're funding where's that come from?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Under the actual government CO four to fourteen. Part of
the Crime Stoppers rules are we have to raise money
either publicly or privately by fundraising sponsorship donors.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
We have to look for grants.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
But we are a five oh one C three nonprofit
that does have to look for fundraising ideas and ways.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
If someone wants to donate to the Crimestoppers of Southeast
Texas program, how can they do so?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
They can email me admin at eight three three tips
dot com or they can even go to our website
eight three three tips dot com and look in there
and there's a section that says support the program.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
If someone out there witnesses a crime in progress, the
highly recommendation is don't get involved, don't confront them, just
call nine one one and let law enforcement handle it
from there and then it truckles down to you guys.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yes, if it's an emergency situation, we do not want
you to try to intervene or get involved or whatever.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Beaumont Police Department has an amazing system now, their real
time Crime Center, which is helping a lot on cases.
So again, you know, at the end of the day,
the number one goal that we want is to again
bring justice to these victims of crime. But we do
not want somebody in the community to get hurt because
they're trying to go and be a hero. Do your
(10:18):
part by reporting it and let the investigators in law
enforcement do the rest.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
As we wrap up this segment. Anything else you'd like
to add?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I just I can't thank iHeart and y'all enough for
everything that y'all do and putting out information that way
our community can be a safer place for everybody to live.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Likewise, and one more time, how can one report a crime?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Either call four nine eight three three tips, go to
the website eight three three tips dot com, or download
the P three tips up on your mobile device.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Jeremy Rayley with the Crime Starfs in Southeast text and
thank you so much for stopping buying this week's program.
And let's get those bad guys and bad gals off
the streets.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
That's it.
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