DESOTO COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - Call CrimeStoppers. You're used to hearing those words from cops and the media, asking for open communication between tipsters and law enforcement agencies. Now DeSoto County is working on communication between CrimeStoppers and the cops.
"We just feel like maybe there's been some communication breakdowns and are just attempting to resolve that," says DeSoto Supervisor Mark Gardner.
"I don't feel like we've been getting the information that we should be getting through CrimeStoppers," says Sheriff Bill Rasco.
There's a disconnect between the organization and the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office.
"I don't know of any CrimeStoppers tips we've gotten though the DeSoto County CrimeStoppers," Rasco says.
"I call Lt Grossman at the sheriff's department at least on a weekly basis," says Larry Holland, the CrimeStoppers Coordinator.
To fix things, the two entities are planning to sit down together soon, "To make sure the working relationship is what should be," says Gardner.
"We'll talk about it to see what we can do," adds Rasco. "Whatever it takes to make it work."
CrimeStoppers passes tips along to the county's five police departments and the sheriff's department, but the non-profit and the sheriff's department could cooperate better.
"In solving crime, time is of the essence; we want to make sure when tips come in they get handed off quickly," says Gardner.
DeSoto CrimeStoppers gets about 15 calls a week.
"We're here to work with all the police agencies and solve any crimes that might go unsolved," says Holland.
