Texas Crime Stoppers Update
Crime Stoppers News From Across Texas

December 8, 2003
Governor Perry Names Kimbrough 16th Annual Conference Basic Campus Crime Stoppers Course
Fiscal Year 2005 Crime Stopper Grants Updated Manual 10th Annual Campus Conference
FAQs Council Meeting Texas Crime Stoppers Videos
News Items, Ideas, and Questions Sought On-Line Courses Contact Information

Governor Perry Names Kimbrough
State Homeland Security Director

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry named Jay Kimbrough as the state’s Director of Homeland Security.  The new position, which will be part of the Governor’s Office, will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating Texas’ homeland security efforts among local, state and federal agencies.

“Since Sept. 11, 2001, Jay Kimbrough’s work on a variety of homeland security issues has undoubtedly made our state safer and more secure,” Perry said.  “His return to the Governor’s Office will further strengthen our state’s efforts to prepare and respond to any natural or man-made disaster.”

Kimbrough previously served in the Perry Administration as deputy chief of staff with oversight on homeland security, public safety and criminal justice. In December 2002, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot named Kimbrough deputy attorney general for criminal justice. In that position, Kimbrough has continued to coordinate homeland security efforts for the state, working directly with the governor.

“With his background in military, government and law enforcement, Jay Kimbrough brings working knowledge to this position that will benefit our state for years to come,” Perry said. “Communication between local, state and federal agencies remains key to preparedness, and the position of Homeland Security Director will assure the effective coordination of information and resources.”

Kimbrough also served as director of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division and in a variety of roles in federal, state and local government since 1966. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Kimbrough was awarded the Purple Heart for his service in the Marine Corps and served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He also is a former county judge and county attorney in Bee County. He also has served as the executive director of the Texas Commission on Private Security and the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

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FISCAL YEAR 2005 CRIME STOPPER GRANTS
 
The Governor's Office Criminal Justice Division has revised the grant cycle for local crime stopper programs, bringing it into conformity with the state's fiscal year that begins on September 1. All grants that were awarded for fiscal year 2004 will end on August 31, 2004.
 
To provide for continuity in funding, the new grant announcements will be posted in March 2004.  The Request for Assistance (RFA) is expected to be published in the Texas Register in mid-March, followed with the posting of the application on the Governor's web site (www.governor.state.tx.us). Grant applications must be prepared on line. Since several grantees had problems filling out the fiscal year 2004 applications on line, we recommend that anyone who anticipates applying for a Crime Stoppers Assistance Fund (CSAF) grant contact their regional Council of Governments (COG) to attend a CJD grant application-training workshop. The CSAF grant application process is similar to the processes for all other grants filed by local agencies for Criminal Justice Division funds, and the COGs around the state are providing short training workshops.
 
Grant funding priorities in fiscal year 2005 will focus on assuring that all local certified crime stopper programs are able to provide hotlines and communication services, since these services are the "heart" that keeps crime stoppers programs alive. If there are additional funds remaining in the budget, other needs, such as conference travel for campus crime stoppers, will be considered.
 
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FAQ’s

Question:     If we are a certified program but do NOT receive any court fees to use for paying rewards or for restitution, must we still send in the Annual Probation Fee and Repayment Report?

Answer:     Yes. Chapter 414.010(a), Texas Government Code, states "not later than January 31 of each year, a crime stoppers organization that receives or expends repayments or payments shall file a detailed report with the Council." The Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council, in its August 1, 2003, approval of new rules for certification, placed the following rule in the Texas Administrative Code (Section 3.9010): "A crime stoppers organization that is certified by the Council shall submit to the director of the Council an Annual Probation Fee and Repayment Report postmarked no later than January 31 of each year." Programs that do NOT receive any court fees must fill out the report form that is mailed to them in late December each year, putting the number 0.00 (zero) in the blanks. Then both the chairman and the treasurer must sign the report, date it, and mail it to the Director, Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council, Office of the Governor.

Question:    Why is the Probation Fee Financial Report now called the Probation Fee and Repayments Report, and how does this affect the information gathered on the report?

Answer:    The Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council on August 1, 2003, voted to approve changes in Section 3.9000 of the Texas Administrative Code, which deals with certification of local crime stopper programs. One of the requirements for continuing certification is the submission of an annual report detailing how much money the program received from the courts, either as fees paid by felony probationers as part of their community service requirement or as a court-ordered repayment of a reward to the local program. The previous form did not specify that local programs were to list all money received as part of court-ordered reward repayments as authorized by Article 37.073(a), Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The Advisory Council changed the title of the report to clarify its purpose: requiring local programs to report all court funds they receive each calendar year. This change helps local programs understand that they are to report ALL funds received from the courts on the annual report, not just fines assessed to felony probationers as conditions of community supervision.

The report form that will be sent to local crime stopper programs for reporting 2003 court fees is slightly different from previous years. Not only has the name been changed, but also the wording on some of the reporting categories is more specific. In addition, one category on the form that has caused confusion in past years has been moved to become the last item on the form. This category asks the local program to state how much money the program paid in rewards from its operating, or general, account.

All crime stopper programs that receive court funds must have TWO separate bank accounts. The first account is the program's operating, or general, account. This account contains funds that the program raises itself in the community from grants, donations, fundraisers, etc. When donors give money to the local program specifying the donation be used to pay rewards, then that money should be deposited in the operating, or general, account, with a notation made in the bookkeeping records that it is to be used for reward payments. For example, the local convenience store was the victim of several armed robberies. Crime Stoppers publicized the robberies as a "crime of the week" and the robber was identified and arrested as a result of an informant's call to the crime stopper hotline. Very pleased with how quickly the robber was apprehended as a result of crime stoppers' publicity efforts, the convenience store manager gave the local program a 1,000-dollar donation, specifying that the donation is to be used for rewards in future "crime of the week" cases. Even though the program can use the money in its general bank account for advertising, new street signs, training program fees, or anything else that the board of directors approves, the program has to set aside the 1,000 dollar deposit for reward payments only.

The second bank account is called the "restricted account”. Each local program that accepts fees from the court system MUST open a restricted account to house these funds, as mandated by statute (Section 414.010[b], Texas Government Code). Most of the reporting on the Annual Probation Fee and Repayments Report deals with this bank account. Local crime stoppers programs must use these funds to pay rewards; however, each program can take 20 percent of the funds received each year and transfer the money to the operating, or general, account to cover administrative costs of the program.

The forms for reporting court fees for the year 2003 will be sent in mid-December to all certified programs. Completed forms MUST be returned to the Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council Director, Betty Bosarge, by January 31, 2004, as mandated by Section 3.9010, Texas Administrative Code. Programs that fail to submit the report by the deadline endanger their certification status and make themselves ineligible to receive grants from the Governor's Office Criminal Justice Division.

Question:    The Conditions of Continuing Certification form requires that we submit a letter from the relevant community supervision and corrections department (CSCD) stating the amount of probation fees disbursed to the organization during the two-year certification period. What should we do if we do NOT receive any CSCD funds? How can we fulfill this certification requirement?

Answer:    This document is mandated by the Advisory Council as a condition of continuing certification [Section 3.9000(e)(5)(B), Texas Administrative Code]. If your program does NOT receive funds from the CSCD or court system, the Advisory Council recommends that you draft a letter to the director of the council stating this fact. Include the letter with the documents submitted for continuing certification review. The letter should be on the local program's stationary, should consist of no more than one short paragraph, and should state that the program did not receive any funds from the CSCD or court system, either for probation fees or restitution, during the preceding two years. The letter should have a date and the chair and treasurer’s names. The chairman and treasurer should both sign the letter.

Question:    Can you recommend places besides banks to pay out rewards?

Answer:    Try lockboxes, public lockers with changeable combinations, hotel front desks, dry cleaners, foreign currency exchange offices (except airport), check-cashing businesses, unassigned school lockers, reserved book at the public library, envelope in a doctor’s office, school nurse’s office, or school attendance office among others.

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NEWS ITEMS, IDEAS AND QUESTIONS SOUGHT FROM LOCAL PROGRAMS
 
This Newsletter exists for all crime stopper programs in the Lone Star State to share news, ideas, and questions about how to do things. If you have news about your program, such as new officers, a winning fundraiser, successful apprehensions that solved some serious crimes, don't keep it all to yourself--share it with your fellow crime stoppers around the state.
 
We learn at our basic training courses that local program members often have the answers to questions that other programs are struggling to answer. If you have a question about how to do something (board operations, fundraising, paying rewards, etc.) and can't come up with a solution, send us the question and we'll post it for others to answer. Similarly, if you developed an idea into something that works--how to recruit new board members and keep them active, how to conduct a basketball tournament fundraiser that draws in some real money, etc., and want to share these ideas with others, this Newsletter is a good place for you to do it.
 
Email or snail-mail your articles and photos to George Landry at ICJS george@txstate.edu  Address: Institute for Criminal Justice Studies, Texas State University-San Marcos, West Campus-Canyon Hall, San Marcos, TX 78666-4610.

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16th Annual Conference

Midland, Texas, hosts the 16th Annual Texas Crime Stoppers Conference, May 19-21, 2004.

The City of Midland’s website proclaims: “Named among the 150 best U.S. cities in which to live for the past twelve years, Midland’s warm climate, friendly people, and central location are the primary reasons for the city’s popularity.

The host hotel is Holiday Inn and Suites.        
4300 W. Wall
Midland, TX 79703
Phone: (432) 697-3181
Ask for the crime stoppers room rates of 70 dollars plus tax, suites 85 dollars plus tax. The convention center is located conveniently next door.  Come to Midland and see “the middle of somewhere.”

The 2004 conference features topics such as fundraising, insurance, legal issues, and board building.  In addition, one training track will be a Basic Crime Stoppers course.

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Updated Manual

An updated Texas Crime Stoppers Operational Resource Manual will be available on the Texas Crime Stoppers Website by February 2004. The manual is a comprehensive guide for crime stoppers program planning and implementation.

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Council Meeting

The Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council will meet for its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, January 22 at 1:00 pm at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, 1301 Franklin Street, Houston. The council will consider certification and recertification applications, as well as additional changes to the Texas Administrative Code.

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On-Line Courses

Texas Crime Stoppers will have the Basic Crime Stoppers Course and Basic Campus Crime Stoppers Course on the Internet by August 2004.
Visit this website to register and become familiar with the online course format:
www.texas-poseit.org/DUHome/default.asp

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Basic Campus Crime Stoppers Course –
July 12-13, 2004

Omni San Antonio
9821 Colonnade Boulevard
San Antonio, Texas 78230
Phone: (210) 691-8888
Fax: (210) 691-1128
Ask for the crime stoppers room rate of $80 single or double.
 

This is the only time this course is presented during the 2004 fiscal year (September 1, 2003 – August 31, 2004). Course topics include student board selection and responsibilities, operational guidelines, governor’s office, funding, media, public relations, and legal issues.

Accommodations:

* 326 deluxe guest rooms and suites;
* Omni Suite includes a dining table, one bedroom, two bathrooms, and a refrigerator, and
* ADA rooms available.

Amenities:

* Fully stocked refreshment center, iron and ironing board, coffee maker, hair dryer, plush robes, two dual line phones with dataports, voice mail, video check-out, LodgeNet system featuring on-demand hit movies and Nintendo 64 ® video games, and Web-TV.

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10th Annual Campus Conference
November 8-10, 2004

Training, recognition, networking, and after-hours fun are conference features. Plan on attending this year’s Texas’ best conference.

Omni, Corpus Christi
900 North Shoreline Blvd.
Corpus Christi, Texas 78401
Phone: (361) 887-1600
Fax: (361) 887-6715
Ask for the crime stoppers room rates of $80 single or double, $85 triple, $95 quad








2004 CAMPUS CONFERENCE REMINDERS

Poster Contest
To participate, bring a poster and an 8 1/2 x 11 inch duplicate depicting why a school should have a campus crime stoppers program. Submit the poster at the conference check-in desk. Ensure that submitter’s name and contact information are on the back of the poster and duplicate. Conference attendees vote on poster submissions. Individuals or programs may enter. All entries become the property of Texas Crime Stoppers.

Campus Crime Stoppers Ambassadors
Texas Crime Stoppers is looking for four Texas campus crime stoppers student board members to represent Texas programs. In addition to performing special duties at the 11th annual campus crime stoppers conference, ambassadors will provide input to the planning process for the 11th annual conference at a weekend meeting.

If you wish to be considered, submit to mhw@txstate.edu by September 30, 2004, a 100-word essay stating why you would make a great crime stoppers ambassador, along with an endorsement from your sponsor. Eligible candidates must have: an email address that is checked regularly, passing grades under the UIL guidelines, and include a school photograph of themselves. Candidates are required to read their essay to a group of conference attendees.

Texas Campus Crime Stoppers’ Mascot Contest
To participate, email mhw@txstate.edu by September 30, 2004:  name, artist’s depiction, and 100 words or less essay on why your mascot should represent Texas campus crime stoppers, including slogans, and appropriate attributes of the mascot. Conference attendees will vote on mascot submissions. Individuals or programs may enter. All entries become the property of Texas Crime Stoppers.

Traveling Trophy
A panel of judges chooses a campus crime stoppers program from among the conference attendees who demonstrate the best combination of deportment, participation, and teamwork at the conference.

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Texas Crime Stoppers Videos

The three-part set is viewable on-line.

Click here to view the videos.

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Institute for Criminal Justice Studies
Texas Crime Stoppers Training/ICJS
Texas State University-San Marcos
West Campus - Canyon Hall
San Marcos, Texas 78666
Toll free phone 866-220-4357
Phone 512-245-0571
Fax 512-245-2851
http://www.crimestoppers.txstate.edu
Director
George Landry
Coordinator
Colin Ashburn
Office Manager
Maggie Hutchins-Wagner
Student Workers
Vanessa Gonzales
Michelle Harris