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Law Enforcement Agencies from the Midlands, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, Police Chief Tandy Carter, Lexington County Assistant Sheriff Keith Kirchner, Irmo Police Chief Brian Buck and School Superintendents joined forces to announce a new collaborative program. Richland School District One Superintendent Dr. Percy Mack, Richland Two Superintendent Dr. Steve Hefner, Lexington Richland Five Superintendent Herbert Berg along with students from the three school districts furthered their partnership today, with crimestoppers, as they unveiled "Student Crimestoppers".   The initiative will be an awareness campaign for students to understand that reporting crime can get them cash for the information without anyone ever knowing that they reported it - while it will be one additional tool to provide safety in schools. 

"Student Crimestoppers" will be complement the Crimestoppers program in the communities which has been successful for 27 years.  Students will be eligible to receive cash for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in a crime or leading to a weapon being seized. 

Statements from Superintendents:

 "Lexington-Richland Five Superintendent Herbert Berg said, "Our school district places a strong emphasis on character education and teaching students to become responsible citizens.  The Student CrimeStoppers program will further these efforts by encouraging students to report wrong-doing.  In addition, the program will help keep criminals off our streets and from interacting with our students and our community."

 "We always encourage students to report all incidents of criminal conduct taking place in our schools," said Richland Two superintendent Dr. Steve Hefner. "We hope that our students will use this new Student Crime Stoppers program to help us maintain a safe, positive environment for teaching and learning throughout the district."

 "Our schools are places for learning, and crime has no place in our schools in Richland School District One," said Richland One Superintendent Dr. Percy A. Mack. "Through the Student CrimeStoppers program, our students will be able to report any criminal activity they may see on their campuses and do so anonymously and without fear of retaliation, with the added incentive of earning a cash reward for their efforts. The Student CrimeStoppers program will further empower our students to help keep their schools safe."

Crimestoppers of the Midlands fields tips from Richland, Lexington, Fairfield, Newberry, Saluda, Kershaw, Orangeburg, Aiken, Edgefield, Bamberg, Clarendon, Calhoun and Barnwell for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.   Crimestoppers is a statewide effort under the South Carolina Crimestoppers Council which is a statewide partnership of 888-CRIME-SC and www.sccrimestoppers.com --  anyone in our State can report information 24/7, receive a caller code and receive cash for information that leads to an arrest.