KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City police are calling it a game changer.
The Greater KC Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline is increasing the reward from $5,000 to $10,000 for a tip that leads to a killer.
“As we all know, the homicide rate continues to grow this year,” KCPD Chief Rick Smith said. “We’ve discussed ways we can get the community involved to help this department and help our community."
KC police have responded to 40 homicides in 2018. According to the crime analysis, only 25 have been cleared and solved.
Police hope an increase in the Crime Stoppers reward money will lead to more solved homicides.
Rebecca Scott hopes the increased reward will lead to a tip in her son's case. Rodney Peoples was killed in June of 2013.
"It hasn't been an arrest because people won't come forward," said Scott.
The KC Crime Commission and the City of Kansas City are working together to underwrite and secure money to fund tipsters. City manager Troy Schulte says getting violent criminals off the streets is a community effort.
"The city is stepping up putting resources into the police department, and we're going to ask the civic community to do the same thing," said Schulte.
The Kansas City Crime Stoppers 816-474-TIPS Hotline does not record calls or have caller I.D. Each caller is given a code number after they have given their TIP. Should their TIP result in a felony arrest, they will be instructed on how to take their special code number to a bank drive-thru to collect their reward money in cash.
Crime Stoppers has paid more than $1.3 million for tips.
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