Mineola school police seeing benefits to recently implemented campus Crime Stoppers program

By Phil Major
publisher@wood.cm
Posted 2/11/21

The new Crime Stoppers program at Mineola High School is paying dividends, literally.

MISD Police Chief Cody Castleberry briefed the school board Monday on the new program, which has seen an increase in student reports since the program began offering rewards for information.

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Mineola school police seeing benefits to recently implemented campus Crime Stoppers program

Posted

The new Crime Stoppers program at Mineola High School is paying dividends, literally.

MISD Police Chief Cody Castleberry briefed the school board Monday on the new program, which has seen an increase in student reports since the program began offering rewards for information.

Of the 15 tips that have been received since the start of the spring semester, 14 have led to rewards totaling $230.

Students have had access to a cellphone app called Stopit that allows them to make tips anonymously. But in the semester prior to Crime Stoppers being implemented, those tips were very few.

Twelve tips this semester have led to the seizure of contraband, along with admissions by two other students that they had possessed contraband.

Most of the seizures involve vaping materials, though one led to a felony arrest for THC (the chemical found in marijuana). A bag of marijuana was also seized.

Castleberry began his presentation by noting that Mineola has great students, and the district sees far fewer problems than most schools.

But the most prevalent issue is vaping, which the chief said is a national problem.

Castleberry said his efforts have been concentrated at the high school, but it is also a problem at the middle school.

He also noted that the reward pay outs have come from donations and not taxpayer money.