Crime stopper program implemented to aid students
By Tiffant Davis, south news editor

     Tarrant County College police department is sponsoring a new district-wide crime stoppers program for the TCC community.
   “The crime stoppers program is not a police department project. It is a TCC community project that will be governed by TCC students and faculty,” Chris Stokes, South Campus police officer, said.
     The TCC police departments are encouraging interested students and faculty to volunteer to be a part of the crime stoppers board.
     They are currently accepting 25 volunteers and plan for seven of the volunteers to be officers.
     Once the project is started, the board members will be in charge of the program.
     “All decisions will be made by the board members,” Stokes said.
     This program will allow students the autonomy and flexibility that may be necessary for one to aid in crime prevention on TCC campuses, according to Frankie Buchanan, district police chief.
     The department plans to set up a hotline, which will allow anonymous callers to give any information they may have about a crime.
     Stokes said, “The police department will provide a specially trained officer to investigate all phone tips and to maintain the anonymity of the tipper.”
     According to Stokes, a crime stoppers bulletin board will be posted on campus asking for information about unsolved crimes and announcing what crimes have been solved.
The bulletin board will also announce incentives awarded to anonymous callers.
     Callers will be assigned numbers to use instead of their names to ensure their privacy through the entire process.
     The TCC police department has collaborated with EL Paso Community College, the only college in Texas that has previously implemented a crime stoppers program, and Dolores Stewart, Scholastic Crime Stoppers coordinator and TCC Campus Crime Stopper coordinator.
     In addition, Riggs Byther, NE; David Herndon, NW; and David Williams, SE, have all worked together with Lt. Nathanal Riley, South Campus, Stokes and Chief Buchanan.
     “The central focus of the TCC police department has always been to ensure public safety among the community, to deter crime and violence,” Lt. Riley said.
     Each campus has a police station with officers on duty.
     Chief Buchanan said, “Here at TCC we have a pretty proactive police department.”
    "We have all the bicycle patrols in place where we would normally need them in order to be a good police department. However, we needed to institute a strong crime prevention program, such as crime stoppers,” he continued.
     Chief Buchanan also said he “supports the program because it involves students and faculty.”
     Stokes said, “In fact, the board members will be in charge of the program with the assistance of the TCC police department.”
     According to Lt. Riley, “This will be the first time TCC has ever had a crime prevention program facilitated on one of its campuses.”
     The police department plans to start the program in the fall 2001 semester.
     Stokes said there is still a political process that the program has to undergo before it will be approved as a non-profit organization.
     Once the program is finalized, there will monetary incentives available.
     The crime stoppers hope to be able to provide other types of incentives with the help from the faculty and the bookstore.
     The officers involved believe the crime stoppers program will make the TCC community a safer place, where effective learning can take place.
     Anyone interested in volunteering for the crime stoppers board should call Stokes at 817-515-4570.
     Board member orientation will be Saturday, Sept. 30, in the SUB Texas Room on South Campus .