Director's Download...

The stats are tallied, the numbers crunched and now it's official: Silent Observer had a record year in 2010!  Because we operate an effective program the community places its trust in, the number of tips received increased by 16 percent and the number of cases cleared was up by 22 percent.  People who call our tip line or send tips via our website or text message know full well that we won't compromise their identity in any way.  And we are grateful to our partners - all area police agencies, neighborhood groups, school administrators and businesses - for encouraging those who are frightened or tentative to come forward with information about crime and share what they know.  Thank you for your support.

In 2010 we also gained two new partners who have helped us educate the public about calling Silent Observer anonymously to report serious crimes.  In December, The Grand Rapids Press received a $5,000 grant through the Center on Media, Crime & Justice in New York to write a series of articles on getting dangerous guns off our streets.  The Press contacted Silent Observer wanting to establish a reward fund to coincide with this illegal gun initiative and asked us to administer the reward fund which pays $250 for information leading to the arrest of someone with an illegal gun.  In the meantime, John Agar from the Press wrote a week-long series of articles titled The Time To Crime that opened up our eyes on how guns stolen years ago have been used in more recent crimes, sometimes yielding deadly results.  Silent Observer applauds The Grand Rapids Press' efforts in this initiative and is grateful for the opportunity to partner with them on this very important issue in our community.

About a year ago, the Walker/Grandville Prevention Coalition asked Silent Observer if we would consider taking Underage Drinking tips as part of our Fast 50 Program.  Since we understand that alcohol-related traffic accidents are the number one killer of teens and that vandalism, theft and sexual assault sometimes occur during "house" parties when parents are away, we enthusiastically agreed.  Silent Observer kicked off this initiative with the Walker and Grandville Police Departments with a press conference.  Because of that coverage, we not only receive underage drinking party tips from Walker and Grandville but from students in communities all over the county.  If the information received by Silent Observer leads to a party being broken up, the caller receives a $50 reward.

It is the community that dictates what Silent Observer needs to do to be relevant and effective in our crime-fighting efforts.  Silent Observer wants to be used and helpful to both law enforcement and our residents dedicated in keeping the greater Grand Rapids area the premier place to live, work and play.