PHOTO BY LISA CARNLEY LISD Superintendent Randy Hoyer, seated, signs a memorandum of agreement with Hill Country Area Crime Stoppers Safe School Program. The program is an extra tool for schools and law enforcement in providing a safe school environment and offers anonymous tools to report crimes in and around schools. Crime Stoppers representatives on hand included, back row from left, Bill Weaver, director; Janie Prew, Safe School Program coordinator; Dee Spinks, chairman; and Lampasas board member Matt Corbin. Crime Stoppers is in the final stages of making a transition from a Lampasas unit to Hill Country Area Crime Stoppers Inc.

Lampasas recently has been added to an organization that serves Burnet, Marble Falls, Llano, Blanco, Johnson City and Mason.

Crime Stoppers representatives were at the recent meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Lampasas Independent School District to explain a program that provides for students to report crimes without fear of being identified.

Details of the program also were presented to campus principals.

Crime Stoppers offers an anonymous source for citizens to provide tips to law enforcement officers. It is funded by a mandate by the Texas Legislature through court fees.

Texas has more Crime Stoppers units than any other state. Volunteers staff the organizations. "And several states use Texas as a bench- mark for a successful organization," said Dee Spinks, chairman of Hill Country Area Crime Stoppers.

She noted that Texas has 150 units and 500 Safe School Programs.

Hill Country Area Crime Stoppers expanded from Burnet County when officials felt that rural areas would benefit from having a larger, cooperative program and a pool of communities with which to work.

Court funding provides for payment for tips, and grants and fundraisers cover operating expenses. Some cities and counties also earmark funds specifically for Crime Stoppers, Ms. Spinks said. The area board may seek a commitment of funds later from Lampasas, she indicated.

The Safe School Program is designed to provide students a more secure learning environment by making campuses and activities safer.

The program's main goal is to solve or prevent serious crimes by providing students with cash rewards for information about crimes on and around the campus. "We believe students are the best instruments for keeping schools safe," said Ms. Spinks.

To reach Crime Stoppers, students are encouraged to make contact from home when there is no immediate danger to themselves.

When calling from school, students may use a secure office.

To call in a tip by cell phone, call the 24-hour hotline at (866) 756- 8477 or 756-TIPS.

To provide tips online, go to www.hcacrimestoppers.com.

Reports of crimes can be texted by calling CRIMES (274637) then tip218 with the message and hit "send."

"There is no caller ID, and callers never give their names," said Ms. Spinks. Callers are given a code number. "Preserving the anonymity of students is the No. 1 priority of the Safe School Program," the chairman said. "Not even Crime Stoppers volunteers know your name."

The program provides a reward of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to the arrest of a person in possession of a weapon on a school campus. Rewards up to $2,000 are offered for information that leads to the arrest of a person in possession of a bomb, or leads to the arrest and charging of a person who has made a bomb threat.

The Safe School Program also offers rewards from $50 to $2,000 for tips that lead to the arrest and charging of persons for other crimes.

Crime Stoppers is founded on the principle that someone other than the criminal has knowledge or information about a crime.

Anonymity is the cornerstone of the program, which encourages callers to give information.

"Our goal is to generate anonymous tips from the community, which will help solve crimes, apprehend wanted fugitives and make the community a safer place to live," Ms. Spinks said.

For more information on the Safe School Program, contact Janie Prew, manager/coordinator, at (830) 613-0467 or Ms. Spinks at 613-0336.