Crimestoppers New Orleans is making moves with local law enforcement by adding reward incentives for any gun linked to any crime.
Darlene Cusanza, President of Crimestoppers, along with local law enforcement leaders introduced their Gun Crime Program which adds another $1,000 to the Crimestoppers reward if a gun was linked to the crime reported by the tipster. The additional cash incentive continues with another $200 per additional crime that gun may be linked to through ballistic testing.
“So let’s look at a crime of homicide, typically it is up to $2,500, that is the reward, give us the gun, law enforcement links it, that becomes a $3,500 reward,” said Cusanza. “Better yet, there is Lagniappe with Crimestoppers… if that weapon hits on any other crimes, if there are any other matches, you are now adding another $200 per crime it matches to up to $2,000. So now you could be walking away with up to a $5,500 cash reward on that one homicide you helped to solve.”
“I don’t think any of us as law enforcement executives want to use it, but never the less, it is something that is necessary for us to use to help properly take care of our community,” said NOPD Chief Shaun Ferguson. “With regards to getting weapons off our streets, it means a lot. We have to get creative and the key to all of this is we cannot do it alone.”
“We know that most crimes are being committed by the same guns, we see it on our charts,” said Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto. “We see a shooting in New Orleans is connected to a shooting in Jefferson Parish and surrounding regions. And our ability to collect those weapons is inhibited by obviously the perpetrator who still has it in their possession. Us being able to link that together… being able to link with the ATF Correlation Center gives us a big edge up."
Lopinto adds, "That is what we need to do our job. As I say often, it is our job to collect the evidence to give the prosecution the ability they need to prosecute a case. This is the public’s opportunity to be able to support that. If you know where a gun is if know somebody who is in possession of a gun used in a crime reach out to us 822-1111.”
