Crime Stoppers in the Tulsa Co. jail - FOX23 News
"More than three thousand people are booked into the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa every year.
Deputies say unless security reasons, it doesn’t matter what type of crime inmates are accused of, they are housed in the same cells.
Imagine all the jailhouse chatter that goes on behind the walls, eventually someone is going to talk and now inmates can call a tip for free.
You can call, text and e-mail Crime Stoppers tips.
"We know that other bad guys and scorned lovers are the big frequent fliers are Crime Stoppers,” says Crime Commission Executive Director Carol Bush.
Some of the callers could be inmates with a beef. "There is always jailhouse chatter and jail house snitches for everything,” says Bush.
Any of the information can be reported to Crime Stoppers for free inside the jail. Signs are posted at telephones encouraging inmates to call Crime Stoppers.
"There are a lot of people inside jails that know stuff that is going on the outside and sometimes they know they need to get those people off the streets,” says Crime Stoppers supporter Lewis Billy.
He lives near 11th and Rockford and says he wants criminals invading his neighborhood reported.
"Prostitution, we've had a lot of drive-bys in a few months,” says Billy.
The tipsters could already be locked up with what deputies call “weekenders”. They are someone who is serving scheduled time for offenses such as a DUI.
If those less violent offenders overhear information about bigger crimes, they can call Crime Stoppers inside the jail or when they get out.
"They have a tendency to want to tell somebody because they are good people, they just made a mistake,” says Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Shannon Clark.
Or the tipsters could be hardened criminals who want to score some extra cash for the reward.
"There is a jailhouse etiquette and they are competitive and start tattle telling on each other’s crimes,” says Clark.
Jail calls are recorded but to keep Crime Stopper callers anonymous, the call is on speed dial to the answering service in Texas."
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