By NATALIE STEWART • FEB 13, 2017
Original Post: http://news.wjct.org/post/st-johns-county-installs-kiosks-help-solve-crimes-find-criminals-offer-safety-tips
HIGH POINT — With new tools in its arsenal, Crimestoppers hopes to expand its reach in helping police capture wanted suspects.
With the help of a donation from a local security systems company, Crimestoppers of High Point recently put a Community Pro-Tektor kiosk at Pantry Fried Chicken on E. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The kiosks aid police in everything from identifying a shoplifting suspect to asking for someone with information about a homicide to come forward anonymously.
The kiosks also can be updated in real time to display urgent messages police want to get out to the community, said Crimestoppers Coordinator Amy Southards.
“We know that Crimestoppers does a great job reducing crime in our community,” said Chris Lohr, president of Protection Systems Inc., which donated the $4,000 kiosk. “We feel that it is important to aid Crimestoppers and HPPD since we are the only alarm company and central station in the city limits of High Point, and the donation of this kiosk is a way to give back to the community.”
With a kiosk in the police department lobby, another at the library and now the addition of one at Pantry Fried Chicken, Southards said each kiosk is exposed to a variety of people.
“There are two demographics we want to see the kiosks,” Southards said. “People who are in the mix and who know something, and then also the community. We want everyone to see this is just one more layer of what Crimestoppers and the police department is doing for the community.”
Southards said the kiosks also raise awareness about Crimestoppers and let people know the nonprofit, funded solely by donations, is available for anyone with information who may not want to be identified.
All calls and texts to Crimestoppers are anonymous.
The kiosks use wireless data in order to stay up to date with the latest information, Southards said. It costs about $50 per month for the kiosks. Businesses or individuals who want to sponsor a kiosk can call Southards at 336-887-7905.
nstewart@hpenews.com | 336-888-3601 | @NatalieLStewart