Board of Estimates Approves $100,000 for Metro Crime Stoppers Payments

BALTIMORE, MD. (Thursday, December 30, 2021) - On November 3, 2021, the Board of Estimates (BOE) approved the request submitted by Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) Shantay Jackson to allocate more funding towards Metro Crime Stoppers Gun Tip and Homicide Hotline Rewards with the goal of encouraging residents to come forward with information that will help police solve crimes.

MONSE Director Shantay Jackson negotiated a new agreement with Metro Crime Stoppers to allow an increase in awards offered for crimes involving murders and illegal guns. The augmented reward will add $4,000 to the reward amounts offered for murders and up to $2,000 for crimes involving illegal firearms. Total rewards for homicides within the City will now be eligible for up to $6,000 for homicides and up to $8,000 for homicides that involve the use of illegal firearms. 

“It is important that we make sure folks are appropriately rewarded for coming forward,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This will encourage residents to participate in building and shaping a new sense of community focused on healing and accountability — rather than this anti snitching culture that has failed so many of our residents.” 

Metro Crime Stoppers is a non-profit, all volunteer organization that is self-funded. It works with police jurisdictions in the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan Area to help solve crimes. Residents can call the anonymous hot tip line at 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587), via the Metro Crime Stoppers website at Metrocrimestoppers.org, or through the P3 Mobile app. Citizens currently provide approximately 2,500 anonymous tips per year to the hotline.

MONSE’s contract with the Metro Crime Stoppers establishes an illegal Gun Tip and Homicide Hotline Program, that offers financial rewards to persons who provide tips that lead to the recovery of an illegal firearm, and/or the arrest of an individual for felony firearms charge(s). 

“Bottom line, we want folks to come forward if they have information,” said MONSE Director Shantay Jackson. “This is about fostering a relationship between residents, our community violence interrupters, and folks in law enforcement so that we can serve justice to our neighborhoods. We have to do our part as a village to close cases and address the trauma faced by family members and loved ones of victims.” 

The Baltimore Police Department is currently offering a $13,000 reward through Metro Crime Stoppers for information to help identify Maliyah Turner’s killer. Turner, 13 years old, was murdered outside of the Lillian Jones Recreation Center in West Baltimore. Mayor Brandon M. Scott is asking anyone with information to call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587) or visit the Metro Crime Stoppers website: www.metrocrimestoppers.org.