Many crimes throughout the country are not reported for a variety of reasons. It is estimated that fifty percent of all crime, regardless of how small or large, goes unreported. Some people do not feel that it will do any good, or they are embarrassed, or they are scared of repercussions if they do report crime. Police cannot solve or attempt to solve an unreported crime. Police cannot help prevent future crimes if they do not know there is a problem.

No matter how small the crime is, please report the crime. If you do not know the serial number of a piece of property that was stolen, it is okay. The report and other reports similar to it might help police recognize a certain crime trend that is happening in that area. This would help police take steps in solving the crimes and help prevent future crimes.

The Hollister Police Department has developed the Tips Line as a way to report crime anonymously. This concept was developed because the police believe that someone other than a criminal or a victim may have information that will assist in solving serious crimes

The information that you can provide is very simple. You should know what to look for before emailing the Tips Line, so you can provide as much information as possible. Some of the pertinent information may include:

• The nature of the offense

• The location of the offense

• Date and times that the offense occurred

• Suspect(s) information including name, address, age, sex, race, height, weight, hair color, eye color, any identifying characteristics

• Friends and/or associates of the suspect(s)

• Vehicle(s) information including make, model, color, year, license plate number(s)

• Email to:  Tips City of Hollister

Remember that not all tips lead to solving crime. The more information that the police obtain, the better the chances of solving crimes and the better the chances of preventing future crimes.

Without the help of the community providing tips and reporting crimes, the police would not solve as many crimes as they do. The more information that is provided by the community, the more crimes that will be solved. Take responsibility for your community; report suspicious activity and all crimes that you see happen or that happen to you. Remember that you can remain anonymous.