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Randall Jeppesen reportingAs the nation's economy slows, more cities report an increased number of people calling police tip lines for cash rewards. A local agency wants to get in on the action, too.
In Florida, Texas and Michigan, crime tip lines have seen a boost in calls, and many believe it's because these tip lines often give out cash rewards. At the Utah County Sheriffs office, Dennis Harris says now might be a good time to start re-emphasizing that they too have a tip line, and if people help them catch the crooks on their most wanted list, "we'll work with somebody that will call us, if they ask us, 'Hey do you have a reward for this?'" Harris said.
Harris says they're looking at ways of making their tip line, which is 851-UTIP, and their most wanted list more accessible on their Web site. "And I believe that we;ll start getting a lot more phone calls," Harris said.
Harris wants to remind people that they can get cash rewards for tips that lead to the arrests of their most wanted.
So crime might not pay, but people are figuring out that turning in a crook might.
Utah County tip line: (801) 851-UTIP
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
