HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Crime Stoppers of Dauphin County have stepped up to inflation and are looking to take a “bigger bite” out of crime.

The non-profit organization is going to be providing larger rewards for tips that lead to arrests.

According to the organization, at the beginning this year, the minimum reward for tips leading to a successful apprehension will increase from $200 to $400, and the maximum reward will jump from $2,000 to $4,000. The severity of the crime and the tip’s value in making an arrest will determine the size of the reward.

Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo stated that tipsters can remain anonymous while keeping their neighborhoods safe.

“As the cost of living has increased, Crime Stoppers has appropriately increased the amount of the rewards,’’ Chardo said. “Through Crime Stoppers, we have solved crimes, including murder, that would have remained unsolved.” 

According to Dauphin County Crime Stoppers, from 1986 to July 2022, the non-profit organization received 7,343 tips, resulting in 899 rewards totaling $237,710. The tips that were given led to 1,516 arrests, 2,529 cases cleared, and $1.6 million in property recovered.

Annually, Crime Stoppers usually gives out 25 rewards a year, averaging out to $6,600.

In the past six years, there were two times that reward exceeded $10,000 and $16,000 annually.

“Our board believed that now was the right time to increase our rewards for those in our community who are assisting our crime-fighting efforts,’’ said Chairman Barry Ramper II. “We are always grateful for the eyes and ears of the community because their value is hard to quantify. They have often proven to be the key to a crime solved, and justice served.”

If you are suspected of involvement in a crime, you are ineligible for rewards.