Monday chat: Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers has new director
August 15, 2011 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
PORT ST. LUCIE — Having a law enforcement background is both a help and a frustration, according to the new executive director of Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers, Ed Glaser, 57.
Former director of advanced training for the Sebastian Police Department, he holds bachelor and master’s degrees in human resource development from Barry University.
He is married and has four children and three grandchildren.
Q. What is Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers?
A. Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers in a nonprofit agency begun in the 1980s to make it easy for citizens to give tips about crimes anonymously and possibly receive a reward if the tip leads to arrest of someone, the recovery of stolen property and other things.
Q. What areas of the Treasure Coast does it cover?
A. Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties, which are in the 19th Judicial Circuit.
Q. How is this program supported?
A. It is supported by the Office of the Florida State Attorney General.
Q. How does this program operate?
A. We have the ability to reach out through radio, TV, newspapers and social media such as Facebook, to provide the public with information on how to get their tips to us and to law enforcement anonymously. We have a website that people can go on:www.TCWatch.org. And, we have a free telephone number 1-800-273-TIPS. The 800 number is monitored 24/7 by a company with which we contract. That company asks a series of questions to help law enforcement then give the caller a number by which they are known in the system. We pass the tip along and sometimes the callers will be paid a reward. Law enforcement will send us a report on what they did with the tip. Every Thursday from 8 a.m. until noon people can call the 800 number and learn if they have a reward. The amount of the reward depend upon the seriousness of the crime. Murder tips obviously pay more.
Q. Do a lot of people claim these rewards?
A. No. Not everyone. Some people just call in the tips because they want a lawful community and are not interested in any other reward.
Q. Does having a long law enforcement background help in this job?
A. Yes, because when I hear the tips, I can tell a lot about who will find it useful and I know to whom it should be sent just based on my experience. But it also can be frustrating because I only forward the tips; sometimes the old investigator in me wants to get into the issue, ask more questions and do investigations. But I can’t do that.
Q. Do you accept donations?
A. Yes … anyone who might want to donate can contact us at 772-871-5360.
