Written by Tanya Terry
For years and year, Crime Stoppers has made reports for crimes that are felonies, of which there are a lot in the area. However, its board of directors is fully behind an initiative to fight blight in Flint because according to Julie Lopez, director of Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County, blight can lead to other crimes. So, the city is partnering with its “long time friends and supporters;” Crime Stoppers, whose board voted to take part in the partnership.
The Crime Stoppers Fight Blight effort starts immediately. A public service about the project features Lopez and Mayor Sheldon Neeley, which residents will begin seeing on TV over the next few days. Residents will also see billboards in every ward of the city, which was requested by Neeley. The billboards will say “fight blight” and “we’re all in this together.”
As of July 31, the city of Flint, under the Neeley administration, has completed 131 cleanups and increased cleanups by about 38% year after year.
“We’re serious about it in the city of Flint,” Neeley said. “We’ll no longer tolerate individuals dumping in our community, treating our community as it is just a garbage can. Residents deserve better.”
Crime Stoppers has been extraordinary partners in fighting crime for about 20 years, according Neeley.
“Now they will be engaging with us in this fight against blight,” Neeley said.
He said the city has cleaned up more than a million pounds of blight this year.
“But as soon as we can clean it up, somebody is back at it dumping,” Neeley said.
Flint Police Chief Phil Hart said he lives in the city of Flint, too.
“This is my community,” he said.
Illegal dumping is punishable by 90 days in jail, a fine of $250 to $500 and impounding of the dumper’s vehicle. Violators also pay the cost of cleaning property and impoundment of their vehicle.
Hart said Flint police officers are ready, willing and able to investigate tips regarding illegal dumping.
Now, Crime Stoppers will also offer a reward of up to $1,000 for information that helps lead to the arrest of anyone illegally dumping in the city of Flint. The partnership was created by Neeley and is funded in part as part of a larger grant to the city of Flint from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to fight blight.
Tips that help lead to an arrest are reviewed by the Crime Stoppers Board of Directors Reward Court Committee to determine the exact reward amount. The committee meets once a month.
The reward is intended to catch those dumping illegally in Flint-and serve as a deterrent to those who would consider defiling Flint neighborhoods with their trash.
“We are enlisting all residents of Flint to help us in this fight against blight, and we are incentivizing them to help,” Neeley said. “Dumpers beware: We have nearly 100,000 pairs of eyes watching for you and ready to cash in on your illegal dumping.”
This unique new partnership is also a testament to Crime Stoppers’ commitment to the community.
“Crime Stoppers has always been committed to getting criminals off our streets,” Lopez said. “Now we’re helping to literally clean up Flint streets.”
Lopez added the project is an excellent opportunity for all of us to work together for a better, cleaner, and safer Flint.
One Flint resident; Mary Joyce Campbell President of Ballenger Square Community Association, said she has seen what happens when the community works together.
Before houses got demolished, people were dumping everywhere-in garages, driveways and yards in her area.
“We had to take our own funds and clean it up,” Campbell said. “It was a chore. We had to get all kinds of volunteers from everywhere we could.”
Over 70 homes have been torn down in Campbell’s district. Now the group helps keep the lawns mowed with a stipend from the Genesee County Land Bank. Campbell said though people still dump tree limbs in vacant lots, overall, since the Ballenger Square Community Association started their efforts about nine years ago, the neighborhood looks much better.
Though it may not always be easy, Campbell said she has felt bad for areas that do not have a similar neighborhood group and she is excited Flint residents will be offered money to help keep the community clean.
Tipsters will be given a tip number. Tips will be sent to Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County from a call center in Canada, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If the tip leads to an arrest, the tipster is responsible for contacting Crime Stoppers. The tipster will meet at a safe location lined up by Crime Stoppers and will be given cash.
“They don’t get a ding on their phone saying they have a message from Crime Stoppers because that could be dangerous,” Lopez said.
Mayor Neeley announced the Fight Blight effort in January, inviting residents to be a part of the initiative by reporting illegal dumping as well as utilizing the Blight Elimination and Neighborhood Improvement Office to get assistance organizing cleanup efforts, getting supplies and reserving dumpsters.
The Fight Blight effort includes Neighborhood Safety Officers who enforce city ordinances, the Administrative Hearings Bureau that works with property owners to get properties cleaned up and/or assess fines, as well as laborers and AmeriCorps workers who do cleanups throughout the city.
To help the city of Flint fight blight, you can anonymously report illegal dumping by submitting videos or photos to CrimeStoppersofFlint.com or on the free P3 mobile app or you can call 1-800-422-JAIL (5245). Tips that help lead to an arrest are eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
