Crime Stoppers & Cold Cases Tips for Assisting Investigations
Kristi Johnson, CSI Harrison County Sheriff’s Department [email protected] What is a cold case?
• The National Institute of Justice defines a cold case as any case whose probative investigative leads have been exhausted.
• How many cold cases are there??
• And what do we do about them? Recent Crime Statistics
FBI Crime Stats- 2015 FBI Crime Stats- 2016 1965-2013
• General decline in the number of homicides solved.
•These end up cold cases!
•How many are we talking about?
Graph courtesy of DecodeDC, January 19, 2015. Cold Cases in the U.S.
• Project: Cold Case estimates the number of unsolved homicide and non-negligent manslaughter cases from 1980-2008 to be ~185,000 • For a break down by state please visit: • https://www.projectcoldcase.org/cold-case-homicide-stats/
• This number does not count Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains Cases Missing and Unidentified
• Over 600,000 individuals go missing every year ▫ Tens of thousands are missing for more than one year
• An estimated 4,400 unidentified bodies are recovered every year ▫ ~1,000 of those remain unidentified after one year How can Crime Stoppers help?
• Community ▫ Established out reach programs • Media ▫ Print, broadcast, web-based presence usually better than LE • Law Enforcement ▫ LE gives info to CS CS disseminates info CS gives LE tips Media Presence
Mississippi Coast Crime Harrison County Sheriff’s Stoppers Facebook Department Facebook • 9,920 people like this • 8,098 people like this • 10,378 people follow this • 8,255 people follow this Long Beach Police Pass Christian Police Department Facebook Department Facebook • 2,271 people like this • 1,859 people like this • 2,350 people follow this • 1,868 people follow this Tips for working with LE
• Understand LE caseload is HIGH! • Find the right point of contact ▫ Enthusiastic about cold cases ▫ Responsive ▫ Has good relationships w/ other LE agencies also • Understand budget constraints ▫ This is why free and CS paid ideas move forward more Cold Case Project Ideas
• Cold Case Flyers • Facebook Ads • Facebook Videos • University partnerships with LE • Missing Persons Day • Cold Case Playing Cards for Jails/Prisons Cold Case Flyers • Targeted topic • Targeted audience • Cold Case info • CS tip submission information • CS disseminates Facebook Advertisement
•Populates as an advertisement under the persons feed •Target specific cities • Multiple areas allowed + mile range •Target a specific socio-economic status • Can specify a net worth range of recipients •CS can set a $ amount you want to cap the advertisement at •FB gives you stats on number of persons reached Harrison County SD Cold Case Facebook Ad Stats • 5,103 people saw ad at least once •12,012= number of times the ad was on screen •690= number of times ad achieved an outcome based on the objective/settings selected •.07¢ average cost per result ($50 total!) •2 tips received!! Facebook Video post
• FREE!! • Build partnerships with local community colleges and Universities to create the videos ▫ Journalism Students ▫ Marketing Students ▫ Criminal Justice Students ▫ Forensic Science Students George Co (MS) SD Cold Case Video Facebook Video Post Stats • Mary Loper Missing Person Video Stats: ▫ Shared 1,068 times ▫ Viewed by ~30K people! ▫ 5 tips received!! University Partnership
• Credit for this idea goes to Steve Dubois with CS of Central Indiana • Partner Criminal Justice Students with LE to work actual cold cases ▫ Benefits include: Organization of LE case file= BIG help to LE! Investigative leads developed and information gathered Production of media releases with CS information CJ students learn the investigative process for cold cases which creates a further interest in working them as they enter their professional careers No associated cost to LE or CS! Implementation
• Law Enforcement ▫ Selects the cases Homicide, Missing Person, Unidentified Persons ▫ Conducts background check of students ▫ Ensures integrity of case file Creates copy of case file with pages numbered No cell phones, photographs, etc. in class Not allowed to leave with course material
• University students ▫ Senior level w/ minimum GPA requirements ▫ Sign non-disclosure agreement ▫ Groups of 2-3 students per case (small class) Our University Project
• HCSD partnered with William Carey University Criminal Justice students • 2 classes worked a total number of 6 cases
“The partnership between William Carey University, Crime Stoppers, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department was an opportunity for the University to show students something beyond academia- the way investigations are really conducted- the good, the bad and the ugly.” -George Chaix, WCU Instructor Take Action! •Web Sleuths” ▫ http://www.mmup.info/ •The Doe Network ▫ http://www.doenetwork.org/ •“NamUs ▫ https://www.namus.gov/ “Web-Sleuths” • CS understands the value of information from the public. • Can provide valuable information- so at least listen! • Many websites for information ▫ www.websleuths.com • They have more time than we do! ▫ They conduct searches between MP and UP and provide potential matches ▫ Search internet for information to link crimes, etc.
The Doe Network
Images courtesy of www.doenetwork.org The Doe Network
NamUs
• NamUs: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System • Federally funded by the National Institute of Justice • Permanent repository for Missing Person and Unidentified Persons cases • Very detailed searching capabilities • Support services- Forensics, Analytics, and Administrators Regional Program Specialists How to Search NamUs
• www.NamUs.gov • Explore NamUs • Quick Search on left • Advanced Search underneath Reset and Search buttons • Once your results come up- click the entry • Use bar on top and on left to navigate to specific information
Cold Cases CAN be solved! Questions?
• Kristi Johnson, CSI Harrison County (MS) Sheriff’s Department [email protected] Office: 228-896-0664
• Please reach out if you would like additional information or to chat about a cold case!