In 1975, the murder of a convenience store clerk in New Mexico resulted in what has become a national effort to solve crimes by soliciting tips from citizens.

That initiative, which became known as Crime Stoppers, is alive and well and thriving in Beaufort County, according to Lt. Kelly Cox of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Cox, a member of the patrol division, coordinates Beaufort County Crime Stoppers and serves as a crime prevention specialist in this area.

“When the store clerk was killed in Albuquerque, a sergeant with the police department wanted to do a TV segment on the crime,” Cox said. “Someone called in a tip and it became a regular segment.”

Crime Stoppers came to Beaufort County in 1997, according to Cox, and since then hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise has been recovered and illegal narcotics have been taken off the streets. It does take a community, he pointed out.

“It’s a team effort; we work with the Crime Stoppers board and with various departments in the sheriff’s office,” he said.

The board is comprised of community members who are dedicated to helping free Beaufort County of the criminal element. The board ranges in size from 19 to 21` members and it meets monthly, according to Cox.

“They give a lot of their time, and they’re not getting paid for it,” he said. “It’s all volunteers.”

Crime Stoppers operates under strict guidelines, assuring anonymity for citizens providing information.

“We accept tips by text, on our web site and by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Cox said. “The person reporting gets a code to go to a certain bank and pick up their reward. That award is based on the charges … the worse the charge, the higher the payment, essentially.”

Between 2009 and 2010, five Beaufort County homicides were solved thanks, in part, to information provided by anonymous citizens, according to Cox. In the first eight months of this year, 28 arrests were made because of Crime Stoppers, he added.

Cases may include nonpayment of child support, larcenies, breaking and entering, assaults and homicides. One case is chosen to be highlighted each week.

“We try to show some variety and we try to spread it around the county when it comes to picking stories,” Cox said. “We usually choose a story by Wednesday and then we write the script. When we have photos we usually get the suspects we are looking for.”

With script in hand, Cox films the Crime Stoppers spots at WITN-TV studios in Greenville. Those segments are also shared on the local Crime Stoppers’ Facebook page, and the sheriff’s office is planning to record some radio segments as well.

Crime Stoppers usually operates on a first-come, first-served basis. But if two tipsters provide valuable information that results in an arrest, the reward money may be divided between them.

Rewards granted through Crime Stoppers are provided by fundraising efforts throughout the year.

“We have our big golf tournament in April and that brings in a lot of money,” Cox said. “And we have pizza fundraisers and sell chicken plates.”

Since Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization, individuals and businesses may make tax-deductible donations. Checks, payable to Beaufort County Crime Stoppers, may be sent to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone providing information is guaranteed that his or her identity will never be made public. And they are never called as a witness when the case goes to trial.

For more information about Crime Stoppers and cases currently being investigated, visit the sheriff’s office web site or the organization’s Facebook page.

Tips may be reported by phone by calling 252-974-6400.