VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — So far in May, officers with the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) made arrests in at least two high-profile cases with the help of anonymous tipsters. Their efforts also resulted in a combined award of more than $2,300.
Theresa Orr, a retired captain who served decades on the VBPD force, presently serves on the board of Virginia Beach Crime Solvers (VBCS) as director-at-large.
"The important component of Crime Solvers is that it bars the identity of the tipster from being disclosed to law enforcement and they never appear in court," Orr said.
VBCS, a nonprofit organization, authorizes a cash reward of up to $1,500 for each tipster with information leading to an arrest.
Protecting the tipsters' anonymity also prevents the chance of retaliation. “When you call, you will not give your name, you get assigned a number so that that help to obfuscate your identity," Orr said.
Between April 19 and May 16, 163 anonymous tips were generated in Virginia Beach resulting in six arrests and 17 charges, according to a VBCS post made on X.
Additionally, this month, a tipster came forward with information in connection to the May 7 deadly shooting on Bryce Lane. It left 16-year-old Jordan Williams dead and another 16-year-old boy behind bars charged with first-degree murder.
The tipster in that case is getting the max award, Orr said.
Another tipster is getting paid $890. Their information prompted police to arrest a wanted woman suspected of attacking a victim on May 9 aboard a Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) bus.
An HRT spokesperson sent 13News Now the following statement Friday:
“Hampton Roads Transit takes the safety and security of our riders and operators very seriously and appreciates the collaborative work of the Virginia Beach Police Department to address this matter. We do not tolerate any unruly and illegal activities on our transit network. Our transit vehicles and vessels are equipped with cameras and other tools that enable us to quickly assist law enforcement with investigations."
Orr encourages the public to submit tips no matter how seemingly old or small the case is.
"Any piece of information for anything no matter how bizarre it sounds is worthy of being submitted. It's going to be vetted," Orr said. "And it provides comfort, solace and finalization to family members who are stuck with 'Why did this happen? Why was my family member taken from me?'"
The Crime Line 1-888-562-5887 or P3 Tips online are both tools law enforcement officers use all across Hampton Roads, not just in Virginia Beach.
"Criminals often move cities or the crime wave just moves beyond the borders of a single city," Orr said.
Tips also lead detectives to get illegal guns and drugs off the streets.
Here is all of 2023 in perspective, by VBCS's numbers:
- 1,113 anonymous tips which helped solve 184 cases
- 60 arrests
- $20,025 in rewards to tipsters
- Recovered $33,834 in stolen property and drugs
- Removed six handguns from the street
Since 1982, VBCS said it has received 41,115 anonymous tips and distributed more than $1.3 million in awards. Because of donations and fundraising, none of that is taxpayer money.
VBCS plans to hold its 17th Annual Pig Pickin' & Family Fun Day on Saturday, June 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Military Aviation Museum. Click here for more information regarding the event.