Crime Stoppers pays $130,000 in rewards

Crime Stoppers of Trinidad and Tobago has paid over $130,000 in rewards to members of the public for the year so far. Yesterday, General Manager of Crime Stoppers, Devrol Dupigny told Newsday that Crime Stoppers has received the fullest support from members of the public. He revealed that information supplied to Crime Stoppers over the past two weeks resulted in the seizure of ten guns. Dupigny said that Crime Stoppers recently embarked on a campaign to convince members of the public to supply key information which could result in the seizures of guns. He added that the response has been overwhelming and he feels that by the end of the year more illegal guns will be seized.

Newsday learned that persons who have been very cooperative with Crime Stoppers live in North, West and South Trinidad. Dupigny pointed out that 800-tips is a safe way for people to give information without being identified. He said that persons who supply key information to Crime Stoppers have all collected their rewards and their information has resulted in some major crimes being solved. More than 90 percent of the murders committed for the year so far were committed with the use of illegal guns. Up until yesterday 237 persons were murdered for the year. At the end of October last year 199 persons were murdered.

Dupigny added that a $25,000 reward was offered by a security company on Tuesday, following a hold up and robbery of the driver of a Pepsi truck parked outside Cadiz Bar in Diego Martin. He added that anyone with information about the robbery can contact 800-tips and if the information results in arrests, then the tipster or tipsters stand to collect the reward. When Newsday visited the scene of the robbery yesterday, residents told Newsday that around 1 pm on Tuesday, three men armed with guns held up the driver of a Pepsi truck and escaped. Several persons who witnessed the robbery told Newsday that the persons who carried out the robbery are not from the area. Officers of the West End Police Station are investigating.