JUST over $8 million was paid out last year through Crime Stop, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica programme that provides rewards to callers who give information which aids in the State’s fight against criminal activity.

“During 2018, a total of $8,287,500 was paid out by or through Crime Stop Jamaica. With the implementation of increased rewards as part of the Rewards for Guns Campaign, the Ministry of National Security paid, through Crime Stop, the majority of the rewards issued within the year,” Crime Stop said in its annual report released Tuesday.

That majority payout — $6,460,000 — was made for information leading to the recovery of illegal firearms and ammunition. The ministry also paid $150,000 to the Violence Against Children Reward Fund, and $5,000 for information on illegal gambling.

Crime Stop itself paid out $1 million for information on murders, $114,500 for tips that led to the seizure of illegal drugs, $60,000 for information on shooting with intent, $58,000 for calls relating to stolen motor vehicles, and $40,000 for information leading the police to bodies.

Crime Stop also reported that it received 1,144 tips last year, compared to 912 in 2017, an increase of 27 per cent. In addition, the programme said that its success rate improved to one in seven in 2018 (meaning one instance of success for every seven first calls received), compared to a one in eight success rate in 2017.

“The tips received by Crime Stop last year further expanded beyond the usual categories received over the years. Tips received included, but were not limited to, breaches of the Immigration Act, breaches of the Excise Duty Act, illegal entry, and illegal sales of petrol,” the report stated.

Crime Stop also said that with the airing of its CS311 — a 13-part television series — between August and November, the tips received widened and mirrored the topics aired each week.

“Tips on crimes such as human trafficking, corruption, and gang activities were received in conjunction with illegal firearm, gunmen, wanted persons, drugs, murder and child abuse, to name a few,” Crime Stop said, adding that the majority of tips received were regarding illegal firearms (319), followed by gunmen (219) and wanted persons (87).

The programme also reported that arrests resulting from tips amounted to 102, compared to 61 in 2017, an increase of 67 per cent.

“Arrests varied from lottery scamming to shooting with intent. Furthermore, 2018 saw a total of 21 arrests associated with illegal gambling, followed by 20 arrests for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Arrests for illegal possession of drugs and murder totalled 16 and 13, respectively.”

Crime Stop also reported that last year it seized and/or destroyed more that $39 million worth of narcotics to include just over 1.5 million kilogrammes of ganja, 3.2 hectares of ganja, 0.657 kilogrammes of ganja seeds, and 5,000 ganja seedlings.

“Additionally, information led to the recovery of eight stolen motor vehicles, a scrapped motor car, over five cartons of un-customed cigarettes, 116 gallons of illegal rum, 288 litres of illegal petrol, five Kent boards, a laptop accompanied with lead sheets for scamming, and five cellphones,” the report stated.

It added that illegal Cash Pot papers and paraphernalia, large quantities of illicit footwear, a phone watch and a passport, as well as a total of $5,672,854 in cash were seized in several operations.

“The total value of the property recovered/seized during 2018 totalled approximately $9,778,114,” Crime Stop said, describing 2018 as “a remarkable year” attributable to the airing of the CS311 TV show and the national security ministry’s Rewards for Guns Campaign.