Crime Stoppers To Open Office In Washtenaw County
WASHTENAW COUNTY (WWJ) - Crime Stoppers of Michigan is opening a satellite office in Washtenaw County.
The agency, known for its 1-800-SPEAK-UP anonymous tip line, is hoping to help solve cases in the western suburbs. Spokesman Rich Kinsey, a former Ann Arbor police detective, said while tipsters help solve many smaller crimes, they can crack higher-profile cases too.
"There were two tips, that appeared to me from an investigator's standpoint, that solve two different sets of homicide in Detroit," said Kinsey. "So there is some outstanding information that comes in from the Crime Stopper's tips."
Kinsey said tipsters should call in even with the tiniest bits of information because sometimes it can be just enough to break a case.
"It can be as innocuous as somebody parked in your normal parking spot or something like that," said Kinsey. "I mean, you never know. We've done neighborhood canvases after major crimes. When I worked for the Ann Arbor Police Department and knocked down a door, the person would say 'Yeah, I was wondering when you were going to come out here to talk to me.' It's like you know, the police don't have a crystal ball."
Two recent Crime Stopper tips had a hand in solving a pair of recent murders, said Kinsey.
