EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Crime Stoppers of El Paso is inviting the community to hit the course this week for its annual golf tournament, with proceeds helping support the nonprofit’s crime-fighting efforts.
The third annual “Putt a Stop to Crime” golf tournament is set for October 16 at Painted Dunes Golf Course in Northeast El Paso.
Sergeant Javier Sambrano, the liaison between Crime Stoppers and local law enforcement agencies, says the fundraiser helps pay for the organization’s operating costs and cash rewards for anonymous tips.
“The estimate is right about $45,000 to $48,000 is what it costs to actually run the program. And that’s not including rewards,” said Sgt. Sambrano.
Sambrano says the amount Crime Stoppers pays in rewards can vary significantly from month to month.
“We’re looking anywhere from, it could be as low as $2,000, to as much as $6,000 a month, or even we’ve had months where we’ve issued out about $10,000 in rewards,” said Sgt. Sambrano.
Crime Stoppers allows people to provide information about criminal activity anonymously. When information provided to the organization leads to an arrest, the tipster may qualify for a cash reward.
Sambrano also emphasized that Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization and is not a police department program.
The program was started in El Paso in 1978 and was the first Crime Stoppers program in Texas.
“We need the community’s help. It’s a program, it’s the first program in the state of Texas, started in 1978, so we’re coming up on 50 years,” said Sgt. Sambrano.
Crime Stoppers of El Paso tees up Oct. 16 golf tournament; registration now open
People can participate in the tournament as individuals or as a team. Individual registration is $125, while a four-person team costs $500.
Crime Stoppers is also offering sponsorship opportunities and accepting donations for those who want to support the program without playing in the tournament.
For more information or to register, you can visit the El Paso Crime Stoppers website.
RECOMMENDED: From pep rallies to parades ‘Battle of the Claw’ fuels El Paso’s oldest football feud
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.