FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – On Tuesday, Greater Fort Wayne Crime Stoppers celebrated 40 years of helping local law enforcement. The organization said if it wasn’t for the community, the media, and support from police, Crime Stoppers wouldn’t be here today.

Crime Stoppers was founded in 1983 by Gary Lotter, who served as the organization’s first coordinator. During the gathering Tuesday morning, board members reflected on the times when they had to use telephones to receive all of their tips. Now, the organization says their P-3 app has helped tremendously with solving cases faster. The current coordinator Ken Fries reminded people that Crime Stoppers helps law enforcement with any type of crime, no matter how big or small.

“We have people give us information on misdemeanors we give to police, people should understand that we are kind of that link between the citizens and the police,” Fries said. “We are not a police organization, we can’t go out and catch people, we give the information to the police that can.”

Fort Wayne Crime Stoppers is operated by local citizens, covering 11 Northeast Indiana counties and three Ohio counties.

Crime Stoppers Statistics 2020, 2021, and 2022
Total Tips: 1,576, 1,826, 1,737
Felony Charges: 205, 192, 237
Misdemeanor Charges: 123, 81, 66

Visit Crime Stoppers here.