A Community of Crime Fighters

Photo Courtesy Lawrence Tabudlo

Not everyone gets to be a police officer. But anyone can help solve crimes. That’s the philosophy behind CrimeStoppers Honolulu, the nonprofit that encourages community members submit anonymous tips — and rewards them for information that leads to an arrest. 

“We are promoting a culture of ‘force multipliers,’” says CrimeStoppers Honolulu police coordinator Sgt. Edmund Ho. “Simply put, there are more eyes and ears out in the community that can make a difference, and by reporting anonymously, you make it your kuleana to reduce crime and improve our community, and possibly earn a cash reward of up to $1,000.”

This year, CrimeStoppers Honolulu celebrates its 45th anniversary and is hosting a fundraiser gala in May.

The money raised from the evening will fund cash rewards and cover the nonprofit’s operational costs. Many assume CrimeStoppers is part of the Honolulu Police Department. After all, Ho and CrimeStoppers police officer Deanna Strikolis are HPD employees. But it’s actually a separate organization that relies on donations from the public to fulfill its mission. 

“There are so many charities out there and everyone has a good cause,” says CrimeStoppers Honolulu board president Sanj Sappal, a former area vice president for Securitas in the Hawaiian Islands. “And there is only so many dollars that can go around and that is the biggest challenge.”  

The CrimeStoppers call center is the organization’s backbone. It’s staffed by approximately 20 volunteers who come from all walks of life. 

Some are retirees who wanted to stay active and engaged. Others are college students interested in pursuing law enforcement as a career. The longest-serving volunteer has been with CrimeStoppers for more than 30 years. The newest started earlier this year. One of them is in her 80s. Another is in her 20s. 

They work four-to-five-hour shifts, usually once a week but sometimes more if needed. Volunteer Frances Camacho was recently recognized for having put in the most hours in the past five years because of her willingness to fill in when others can’t make it.    

 In addition to answering phones, volunteers parse through tips, ask callers clarifying questions and document the information they receive so that it can be distributed to police officers and investigators. 

According to CrimeStoppers volunteer coordinator Donna Takahashi-Gomes, who is an HPD civilian employee, call center volunteers go through a list of questions when someone calls in with a tip. These are questions police need answered to verify a tip. 

Takahashi-Gomes has been on the job for almost a decade, and she’s developed a feel for “hot tips,” or tips that have a good chance of leading to an arrest. 

“When (the callers) say they see the fugitive in front of them, that’s how we know,” she says. “That’s when we ask, ‘OK, what are they wearing?’ If they say, ‘Oh he’s wearing a pink aloha shirt’ or ‘an orange shirt’ or something, we say, ‘Where are they right now?’ If they say, ‘Oh, by the 7-Eleven,’ we say, ‘Which 7-Eleven?’ ‘Oh you know the one by Kapālama Stream.’”

At that point, Takahashi-Gomes says, she lets the caller continue talking to the volunteer while she jumps on her own computer to look up the address. She then hustles to get all of that information to police dispatchers, who send officers to the location.

Arrests can happen quickly, which adds to the excitement. 

Ho recalls a tip about a fugitive wanted on a $20,000 bench warrant. The caller told volunteers where the fugitive was at that moment. The tip went to dispatchers and within minutes police had the wanted individual in custody. 

When a tip results in an arrest, Takahashi-Gomes says she hits the button on her desk that blares out the lyrics to Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, and the office celebrates.

CrimeStoppers volunteer Paulette Ing likes to bring in a box of doughnuts when she gets a tip that leads to an arrest.

This is why when police dispatchers ask volunteers if they would like an update on how a tip turned out, they say yes. Yes, they want to know if their work paid off. That’s their reward.

“It’s humbling and I feel real good afterward knowing that I helped the community and police officers keep the community safe,” says volunteer John Gomes (no relation to Takahashi-Gomes).

Gomes’ employer, Hawaiian Electric, recently recognized him with a company award for his time with CrimeStoppers. He says CrimeStoppers has motivated him to look into other ways to volunteer with HPD and help the community.

Callers who bring in successful tips also share in the good vibes because their tip could earn them a cash reward. And they never have to reveal their identity. 

According to Ho, to date CrimeStoppers has helped solve 10,225 cases, made 3,072 arrests and given out $392,731 in rewards.

“Quite simply put, our call center volunteers are the backbone of the success of our program,” Ho says. “Though we have our online submission and mobile P3 tips app, there is no replacement for the heartfelt desire and interest that our dedicated volunteers pride themselves with (when) they relay tips accurately, concisely and completely.”

Of course, not all tips are cut and dry. Sometimes officers may get to a location and find that the person they were looking for is no longer there, or that it wasn’t the wanted individual after all. 

Volunteers field all kinds of calls. In addition to tips about fugitives (who are featured in MidWeek), they may get information about missing persons or reports of illegal drug use. Many callers complain about illegal gambling operations. These are less likely to result in an immediate arrest or resolution, but volunteers take down the information and Ho makes sure the information gets to investigators. 

Volunteers also get calls about animal cruelty and bullying or threats to students via the Animal CrimeStoppers and Student CrimeStoppers hotlines. Police work with the Hawaiian Humane Society and school administrators to address those. 

The most difficult calls are from folks who are upset or distraught. It could be because someone is harassing them or speeding in a residential neighborhood or dealing illegal drugs. They want police officers to respond right away. However, Ho says there’s a difference between CrimeStoppers and HPD.  

CrimeStoppers was designed for the community to share information anonymously without fear of retribution, he says. Ultimately, its purpose is to help police solve crimes and locate fugitives and missing persons featured on social media, local TV news and publications such as MidWeek.

“One of the most frequent comments I’ve heard over the past year when our volunteers are taking phone calls or when I’m responding to information from our website or via our P3 Tips app is, ‘Aren’t you the police?’” says Ho. “While (officer Strikolis) and I are indeed HPD officers, CrimeStoppers is not a substitute for immediate emergency response via 911 and  not a substitute for filing a police report for criminal cases in progress or where a crime has occurred.”