Corporal Travis Bryant announced last week that the Smithville Police Department has been awarded grant money to form a new Crime Stoppers program.
According to Bryant, the city has received a grant to get the program started, with a portion of the funds designated for reward money.
“We have received a $6,250 grant for the program,” Bryant said. “We will have $5,000 to disburse specifically for reward money.”
The remaining $1,250 will go to  administrative costs, equipment and advertising.
Bryant said a board of directors has already been established, and by-laws are being drawn up for the program.
“The board will consist of a group of local citizens,” Bryant said. “There are no law enforcement officers on the board.”
All information will be given anonymously. The person who reports a crime will be issued a number, to be used as identification during the process.
The police department will make recommendations to the board, and the board will decide what dollar amount, if any, the reward will be. The decision will be based on several factors, including the severity of the crime.
“The reward could be up to $1,000 per tip,” Bryant said. “Obviously, the reward would be bigger for a tip on a murder than for something like a violation of probation warrant.”
Crime Stoppers gives out rewards based on an arrest for the reported crime, not a conviction.
The Crime Stoppers Board  of Directors will consist of Sue Convey, CEO of DeKalb Community Hospital; John Daniels of Regal Craft Kitchens; local businessman Phillip (Fluty) Cantrell; Jeff Armstrong, minister of the Smithville Church of God; Karen Caplinger of Potters Home Center; Dwayne Page, manager of WJLE; Shawn Jacobs, alderman and police and fire commissioner; Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss; City Secretary-Treasurer Hunter Hendrixson; and Gayla Hendrix, an alderman and local attorney.