The disappearance of a woman with ties to the lake area more than two years ago is being cited as one of the reasons the city is now offering a new service for residents to report crimes.
The city of Osage Beach recently signed an agreement with the “We-Tip” Hotline Program.
We-Tips anonymous crime hotline is a way for citizens to get involved in maintaining a safe community.
“Residents are often afraid to report crime information because they fear reprisal from the person they are reporting,” according to Osage Beach Police Chief Dave Severson.
We-Tip gives community members an opportunity to give information without fear. We-Tip is being made available through Marcit, a risk pool of public entities to which Osage Beach belongs.
While conducting our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Brandi Mathews, it became apparent that some people with information were reluctant to come forward even with an assurance of confidentiality,” Severson said. “When you call the We-Tip hotline, the first words you hear from the operator will be ‘This is the We-Tip crime line, please do not give your name.’ The operator will then ask a series of questions designed by law enforcement to obtain the maximum amount of information about the reported crime.
“We are very happy to be able to offer this program to our citizens. We-Tip provides a completely anonymous way to report crimes or suspicious activity.”
Matthews is believed to be the victim of foul play. At the time of her disappearance, she was working in the lake area and reportedly seeing a man who’s believed to be involved in the drug trade. Earlier this year, Matthews’ family asked police to renew their efforts to find out what happened to her.
It has been a frustrating process for investigators, who believe someone here in the lake area has information that could solve her unexplained disappearance but that person may be afraid to step forward.
We-Tip takes the risk out of providing information to law enforcement.
According to Severson, We-Tip information is immediately conveyed to the appropriate police, fire and sherriff’s agency. After the information is taken, if the informant requests a reward, a code name and number are assigned to the informant.
By using the We-Tip system, Severson said the caller always remains absolutely anonymous, not just confidential.
Cash rewards of up to $1,000 are given upon verified reports from law enforcement that the We-Tip information was received prior to the arrest and that the information was helpful in the arrest and conviction.
The reward drop is made at a designated postal location, using the assigned code name and case numbers. No personal contact is ever made with the informant, he said.
The We-Tip Hotline is staffed 365 days a year, 24 hours a day at the We-Tip call center by trained professional operators, including accessible Spanish speaking operators and Voice/TDD equipment for the hearing impaired. Individuals can also report crime tips via the Internet at the We-Tip Web site.
Severson said residents can call the We-Tip number 24 hours a day and report concerns to We-Tip. 800-78-CRIME or 800-782-7463 or www.wetip.com.
Contact this reporter at joycem@lakesunleader.com
Osage Beach, Mo. —
