By Scott Harvey
The Commerce Independent School District may soon implement its own campus crime stoppers network.
Hunt County Crime Stoppers has been discussing the possibility with several area school districts in recent months.
According to Greenville Crime Prevention Office Chris McCaslin, campus crime stoppers works primarily the same way adult crime stoppers does, but instead gives students an anonymous way to report activity taking place on campus that might threaten their safety disrupt the learning process.
The only big difference, according to McCaslin, is that the tips are accepted by either a campus coordinator; which could be a student resource officer, a teacher or a principal. Also, the rewards for the campus program are limited to $100, while up to $1,000 can be claimed through adult crime stoppers. Hunt County Crime Stoppers provide the reward funding.
McCaslin says the program is not a way of identifying a poorly patrolled school, but a way to focus on prevention.
The Greenville Independent School District has been a part of the campus crime stoppers program for several years, according to McCaslin, and for the past year, Bland ISD has also been using the program.
According to McCaslin, it is especially important to have such a network in this day and age, where more reports are made in regards to school shootings. McCaslin believes the campus crime stoppers program is a useful tool in preventing such an activity.
Hunt County Crime Stoppers is also in talks with the Quinlan Independent School District about starting their own campus crime stoppers.