MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Investigators are getting more tips through CrimeStoppers recently, which is an encouraging trend for Memphis Police and law enforcement when it comes to stopping crime.

The partnership has been around for a long time, but it’s been advertised more in recent years, and it’s often mentioned in the media, like on News Channel 3 and WREG.com.

Thanks to this, more people know about the program, they’re using it, and they’re getting paid.

People have been calling CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH and dropping tips to police in exchange for money, but tipsters only get paid if their information leads to an arrest.

The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission said there were 158 successful CrimeStoppers tips through the first half of this year, which is up nearly 20% from the first half of last year.

That news was positive for everyone who heard it from WREG.

“Definitely it’s a good thing,” one person said. “Anytime you can lower crime it’s a good thing.”

Buddy Chapman, executive director of CrimeStoppers, said police can’t be everywhere all the time, so having additional eyes and ears on the streets provides law enforcement with additional investigative resources.

“It is so beneficial to the police department in doing their job,” Chapman said. “Instead of having to out and hunt up clues, they’re told here’s who did it, or here’s who did it and here’s where he’s hiding.”

Chapman said more people are calling CrimeStoppers because more people know about it and hear about it when the media reports on crime.

“You guys have been good as gold,” Chapman said.

And tipsters are cashing in on that gold mine, knowing anyone who calls can remain anonymous.

“We don’t have caller ID,” Chapman said. “We don’t know who you are. We can’t be forced to tell who you are because we don’t know who you are.”

All you need to get paid is the tip number that CrimeStoppers gives you when you call.

“In order for us to address crime, we’ve got to have citizen involvement,” Chapman said. “We’ve got to have community involvement. Somebody out there knows who did every single crime.”

Cash payouts are done in person at the CrimeStoppers headquarters, so if you know anything about a recent crime we’ve reported on, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.