How it Works

Put simply it is a three part approach to solving the crime problem. Crime Stoppers relies on cooperation between the police, the media, and the general community to provide a flow of information about crime and criminals.

The Phone Call

Calls are received at the local Crime Stoppers tips line phone. This phone is a stand alone instrument which does not provide caller ID, and conversations are not recorded. The Crime Stoppers police coordinator or civilian call taker receiving the information completes the tips information form, makes initial inquiries and then passes the information to the investigating officer. Calls are accepted regarding any publicized request for information, or other crime(s) the caller has knowledge of.

By guaranteeing a caller's anonymity Crime Stoppers allows the caller to give information in a positive atmosphere without the prospect of retribution. By offering cash rewards for information leading to indictment or arrests, the program encourages otherwise reluctant callers to provide information.

Update or follow up information to the callers original tip(s) are always available. In order to better serve our callers, please call for updates or follow ups on Tuesdays between 08:30am and 03:00pm and on Wednesdays between 08:30am and 03:00pm. [All times are Central Standard Time]. Callers are also encourgaged to utilize our website to submit a tip, which also has a follow up tip button for easy and simple requests. Webtips / Mobile tips are the easiest and the most convenient way to provide your information.

The Online Web Tip and Mobile Tip

Tipsters now have the option of giving us tips online and/or through the use of their smart phone by downloading the mobile app at the link above. The process is completely secure and anonymous and is a very effective and efficient means of safely communicating with us in today's world. Our Web Tip and Mobile Tip process is powered by the world's leading online tip solution provider, Anderson Software.

The very unique integrated Two-Way Dialog capabilities allow the tipster to come back and provide additional information to their tip at any time and allows them to request updates by utilizing a separate follow up button. This initial Two-Way Dialog also provides a secure means for the coordinator to ask questions or provide reward information back to the tipster through the same secure and encrypted interface.

Structure and Funding of Crime Stoppers

Crime Stopper Programs are organized as a not for profit organization (501©3 charitable organization). A civilian community board of directors provides direction as to the financial and promotional activities of the program. The board of directors enhances the community involvement aspect, and its function is vital to the program’s success.

The Crime Stoppers program is funded by private donations and fund raising. NO TAX DOLLARS are involved. The reward money paid out by the program is from the fund raising and donations from concerned citizens and businesses. [See our Support Us button for YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFT CONTRIBUTION ]

A community board of directors, made up of persons from throughout the area, meets on a monthly basis to evaluate arrests and to decide on the size of rewards to be paid, up to $1,000. Rewards are then distributed in a private manner to the callers. Callers are eligible for rewards up to $1,000, but, despite this, many callers choose not to collect their rewards. All rewards will expire one year from the date that they are approved by the Crime Stoppers Board of Directors.

Does Crime Stoppers Work?

The answer is quite simply yes. Since the start of Crime Stoppers, many calls have been received resulting in thousands of arrests and recovery of substantial amounts of property. Calls have included information about murder, robbery, rape, assaults, drug and firearm offenses.

The success of a Crime Stoppers program cannot be purely judged on statistics, however, other benefits have come to notice:

A greater awareness in the community that there is a crime problem.
A willingness by the community to fight back against crime if it is given the opportunity and motivation.
Improved relationships between police, media, and the community.

Crime Stoppers is definitely here to stay. It has been accepted by police as a valid and effective investigative tool and the public, through its overwhelming response, appears to have accepted it as a more palatable alternative to traditional methods of giving information.

Important info:

When you provide a tip to us, we always thank you for contacting Nashville TN Crime Stoppers. Please be mindful though, if you have a life threatening emergency please contact your local emergency services by calling 911. If you are reporting a crime in progress here in Nashville - Davidson County, TN you need to contact the Metro Police Dispatcher, 615-862-8600, when the activity is happening, in order for a Police Officer to respond in a timely manner. Please be aware that we are a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and we are not an emergency response dispatch center.

Our Crime Stoppers Program is designed for the public to have a safe place to report routine tips and information involving criminal activity occurring within Nashville & Davidson County, TN. If the information that you’ve provided is outside of our city/county limits, you will need to contact the local law enforcement, Police Dept, or the Sheriffs Dept for that area. If it is outside Nashville TN, but in the state of TN, you may also contact The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) by phone or by email; Tips to TBI: 1-800-TBI-FIND or by email: TipsToTBI@tn.gov .

The information that you have provided does not constitute a police report. Your information will always be reviewed and you can add follow-up information anytime. PLEASE do not lose your tip number as we cannot discuss this tip with you if you do lose it. We will never ask for your password or who you are since this is anonymous. We will not ask you to do any undercover police work or put yourself in harm’s way to get any information.

If you have already contacted another law enforcement agency, 911, or a Detective directly about your information, you are not eligible for a reward. If you are a victim of a crime and need to make a police report, please call the non-emergency number (615) 862-8600 to speak with the Nashville and Davidson County Police Department, or if this is a life threatening emergency, please call 911.

If this tip is regarding drugs, please provide an address that you suspect may be involved. Please give a good description of the location as well as other important information such as who is involved, their name(s) if known, and vehicles that the drug dealers may be using, including license plate information.

We thank you for using Nashville TN Crime Stoppers and for taking the time to contact us so together, we can make Nashville a safe place for all of us.