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More Tipsters Are Ratting Out Crooks—for a Price

Posted May 18, 08 4:41 PM CDT in Crime & Courts 

(Newser) – Tipsters are flooding cops with calls these days, but not to fight crime: They just want to bank a few extra bucks. Crime Stoppers hotlines are getting up to 44% more calls, many from tipsters who want their money quick. Gone are the days when people called because they "were just sick of the crime," one officer told the New York Times.

Better advertising and tech advances—like letting tipsters text in messages—have also prompted the tip spike. But with programs paying between $50 and $1,000 per tip, today's economy is the biggest incentive. Police say some tipsters even make a living by ratting out crooks in bad areas. The only problem? It can lead to poor information.

Source New York Times

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Officers usually meet tipsters at a chosen location in an unmarked vehicle to give them their reward.   (Shutterstock)
The economic downturn in the principle cause of the spike in tipsters, but technological advances and advertising are also responsible for the increase.   (Shutterstock)
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