LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — In the last eight months, there have been 51 shootings in Lexington, including homicides. Many of those cases remain unsolved, but with the help of the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers tipline reward program, the community can help police officers close the gap.
Saturday morning, Bluegrass Crime Stoppers hosted their annual gun shooting competition that welcomed shooters of all skill levels to help raise money for their tipline reward program.
The tipline will receive tips to help the Lexington Police Department investigate crime, and has been successful for the last three years. Bluegrass Crime Stoppers chair David Ashford says the program has led to more than 600 felony arrests, taken about 100 illegal guns, and helped get hundreds of pounds of drugs off the streets. Ashford says it would not have been possible without the community's help.
"This is a way for folks to engage and do something," said Ashford.
Ashford says what makes the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers tipline different from others is that people can feel safe about remaining anonymous.
"Our tip system encrypts the information," said Ashford. "This system allows those people to come forward and have confidence knowing that their information will not be revealed."
Getting tips helps relieve some of the Lexington Police Department's workload. Ashford says the department is about seventy officers short of a full staff.
"This is a way for us to help those officers connect the dots," said Ashford. "It's faster and move right towards the place to look to solve crime."
If you have a tip for Bluegrass Crime Stoppers, call 859-253-2020. If your information leads to an arrest, you can earn up to $1500.
