>>KENT JUSTICE: IT’S BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE FIRST COAST CRIME STOPPERS WAS CREATED IN OUR
AREA OVER THE PAST 2 DECADES.
THE ANONYMOUS CRIME FIGHTING
TOOL IS PAID OUT MORE THAN 1.1
MILLION DOLLARS IN REWARD
MONEY. IT’S AN AVERAGE OF
$55,000 A YEAR PAID TO PEOPLE
WHO HELP SOLVE LOCAL CRIMES.
IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH TO
CONVINCE YOU THAT THIS
ANONYMOUS TIP SEEKING TOOL
WORKS.
>>JOY PURDY: DARLENE FARAH,
WHO IS MARKING A REALLY
BITTERSWEET MILESTONE. IT’S
BEEN NEARLY 10 YEARS SINCE THE
FIRST COAST CRIME STOPPERS TIP
HELPED CATCH HER DAUGHTER’S
KILLER.
>> SHE SHE’S IN A BETTER
PLACE.
>>JOY PURDY: THIS SUMMER WILL
MARK 10 YEARS SINCE HER
DAUGHTER’S DEATH. BUT IT FEELS
LIKE YESTERDAY TO LITTLE OVER
6 MONTHS TO DESIGN A HEADSTONE
MARKING 20 YEAR-OLD SHELBY
FERRIS FINAL RESTING PLACE IN
OAK LAWN CEMETERY. HER MOTHER,
DARLENE, REMEMBER SO MUCH HOW
SHELBY DIED BACK OF A POLICE
SAY THEY’RE LOOKING FOR THE
MAN THAT SHOT AND KILLED A
MOBILE PHONE STORE CLERK ON
THE NORTH SIDE AND WHO KILLED
HER.
>>KENT JUSTICE: 4 YEARS AFTER
THE VIOLENT TRAGEDY, DARLENE
FACED HER DAUGHTER’S KILLER IN
>>JOY PURDY: 25 YEAR-OLD JAMES RHODES ADMITTED HE SHOT SHELBY AT POINT BLANK RANGE EVEN
AFTER SHELBY HANDED OVER THE
STORE’S MONEY WHERE SHE WORKED
AND ASKED HIM NOT TO HURT HER.
IT’S AN ADMISSION DARLIE HAD
LONG TO HEAR. BUT THE ONE
THING SHE MAY NEVER FIND OUT
WHO CONTACTED CRIME STOPPERS
ANONYMOUSLY. THEIR INFORMATION
HELP SOLVE HER DAUGHTER’S
MURDER. IF YOU COULD SAY
SOMETHING TO THE PERSON WHO
CALLED IN THAT TIP.
>> I’D LIKE TO TELL THANK YOU.
THAT WAS BRAVE OF THEM TO DO
THAT. AND IT TOOK A LOT OF
COURAGE AS SHE SAYS. SHE’S
OVERWHELMINGLY GRATEFUL TO
CRIME. STOPPERS EVEN EXISTS. I
WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO. IT AND I
PRAYED THAT FUNDING STILL
COMES IN FOR 20 MORE YEARS AND
SOME SHE’S THANKING BILL
CHEEK. RETIRED FBI SPECIAL
AGENT AND CO-FOUNDER FIRST
COAST CRIME STOPPERS.
>> WE STARTED IN JUNE OF 2002
AND WE MADE OUR FIRST REWARD
PAYMENT IN 2003.
>>JOY PURDY: AFTER WORKING AS
A LIAISON BETWEEN HIS FBI
OFFICE AND POLICE IN KENTUCKY
CHEEK TEAMED UP WITH DIANE
KIRK FROM THE U.S. JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT TO BRING CRIME
STOPPERS TO JACKSONVILLE.
>> SO WHILE YOU’RE WAITING FOR
THE PAPERWORK TO GO THROUGH
WHEN FOR CRIME STOPPERS TO
OFFICIALLY BE ABLE TO START
DOLING OUT MONEY FOR TIPS.
YES. WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE
TIPS THAT WERE COMING IN? HOW
DID YOU PAY THOSE WHEN WE
FIRST STARTED, LIKE I SAID, I
HAD TO GO TO MY PERSONAL
SAVINGS ACCOUNT. TAKE OUT
MONEY TO PAY THE FIRST ABOUT 3
OR 4 REWARDS ABOUT $1500 OF
HIS OWN MONEY TO PAY ANONYMOUS
TIPSTERS WHO HELPED SOLVE
CRIMES TODAY ALONG WITH
PRIVATE DONATIONS. CRIME
STOPPERS ALSO RECEIVES MONEY
FROM A STATE TRUST FUND, FINES
AND FEES COLLECTED FROM ANY
FELONY OR MISDEMEANOR SINCE
ITS CREATION. HERE ON THE
FIRST COAST, CRIME STOPPERS
HAS PAID OUT MORE THAN 1.1
MILLION DOLLARS TO ANONYMOUS
TIPSTERS. BUT CHIEF SAYS NOT
EVERYONE COLLECTS THE REWARD.
WE HAVE 60% OF PEOPLE CLAIMING
STILL 40% OF PEOPLE THAT.
>> LEAVE THEIR MONEY ON THE
TABLE DON’T WANT THAT WASN’T
THE REASON THEY CALL.
>> REASONS THAT MAY NEVER BE
ON EARTH. IT WORKS. IT WORKS
AND THEY DO REMAIN ANONYMOUS
10 YEARS LATER. AND I STILL
DON’T KNOW WHO CALLED IT.
>>JOY PURDY: AND DARLENE WILL
NEVER KNOW WHO GAVE THAT TIP
BECAUSE IT WILL ALWAYS BE
ANONYMOUS. NO MATTER WHETHER
YOUR TIP COMES THROUGH FIRST
COAST CRIME STOPPERS WEBSITE
THROUGH THE APP THROUGH THE
TOLL FREE NUMBER WHICH YOU SEE
ON THE SCREEN, 8, 6, 6, 8, 4,
5 TIPS. REGARDLESS OF HOW YOUR
TIP THIS MAJOR IDENTITIES
ALWAYS PROTECTED. EVERY
TIPSTER’S. GIVEN THIS TIP
NUMBER UNIQUE ID NUMBER AND
YOU STAY ANONYMOUS. THERE’S NO
CALLER ID, NO RECORDED CALLS
AND THAT ONLINE FORM. IT’S NOT
EVEN E-MAIL. SO THAT CAN’T BE
TRACED. IT REALLY IS CAN’T
TRULY.
>> COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS. AND
THAT THAT IS SO KEY TO THIS
EFFORT BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT
SEEMS TO HOLD PEOPLE BACK SO
OFTEN IS WHEN THEY’VE GOT
INFORMATION REGARDING A CRIME,
THAT THEY’RE WORRIED THAT
THEY’LL BE FOUND OUT. THEY
WANT TO BE A SNITCH. YEAH. AND
THE TRUTH IS THE ONLY BE KNOWN
BY THAT RANDOM ID NUMBER THAT
THEY’RE GIVEN AND THAT’S HOW