JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 There have been several teen takeover events, along with concerns about illegal guns and drugs circulating in the community. With support from residents, First Coast Crime Stoppers plays a key role in helping address these issues and create a safer environment for everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of wanted fugitive locations, also locations of weapons, illegal firearms and it just shows the broad spectrum that community members can submit tips on. A lot of times people think that it has to be this movie like scenario, this dramatic event that causes people to have a reason to submit a tip. It\u2019s everyday scenarios that is the bread and butter for finding out where these weapons are located, where these fugitives could be located,\u201d said Chase Robinson with First Coast Crime Stoppers. <\/p>\n
Community members who submit tips are fully protected because they remain anonymous.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have any way to identify our tipsters. A distinction I like to make is that our tipsters are not anonymous, they\u2019re not confidential so if our tipsters were confidential, we will know who they are, where they\u2019re sending their tips from, and that is simply not true. They\u2019re anonymous because we never know who they are, we never no their IP address, where they\u2019re sending a tip from and because we don\u2019t know that means law enforcement don\u2019t know,\u201d said Robinson. <\/p>\n
Fundraisers, such as the First Coast Crime Stoppers Sports Clay Shooting event, help sustain the program. These events raise funds for rewards given to tipsters whose information leads to an arrest.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s because of fundraising events like the shoot coming up on April 9th that we\u2019re able to keep our program going and keep this incentive, like one of our most recent incentives that we try to really promote is our partnership with Animal Care and Protective Services for animal abuse. We\u2019ve seen a lot of increase in tips with animal cruelty, beatings of animals, starvation of animals, and when you combine that with fundraising events, it\u2019s just examples of how we can keep task force like these going. Really making the public aware of instances where they can help make their community safer,\u201d said Robinson. <\/p>\n
The event will take place on Thursday, April 9th at the Jacksonville Clay Target Sports. Attendees can enjoy coffee and doughnuts at check-in, a BBQ lunch, and raffles throughout the day.<\/p>\n