The Caddo-Shreveport Crime Stoppers is experiencing a significant decline in funding due to a decrease in court fee revenue. The nonprofit organization, which relies on a $2 court fee assessed on defendants convicted of criminal or traffic offenses, has seen its funding cut by more than 50% over the last decade.
Court Fee Revenue Decline
The decline in court fee revenue is attributed to criminal justice reforms enacted in 2017, which gave courts discretion to determine if a defendant can afford their fines and fees. As a result, the number of court fees collected for the organization has dropped significantly. For example, in 2015, the organization collected around $33,600 from city court, which decreased to $15,320 in 2024.
Executive Director Terry McNaight has been working to fill the funding shortfall with private donations. However, he notes that the organization’s $2 court fee has never been increased since its inception, making it a struggle to secure funding every year.
Impact on Operations
The funding decline has affected the organization’s ability to operate effectively. McNaight stated that without private donations, the organization would have to shut down. In the last 12 months, Crime Stoppers provided law enforcement agencies with 1,614 anonymous tips or leads, with the majority falling within four categories: narcotics, violent crime, robbery, and homicide.
The organization has also paid nearly $50,000 to tipsters for information leading to arrests or indictments in multiple cases. One notable example is the arrest of Kendrick Jones, who was accused of repeatedly hitting a woman in the face with brass knuckles. Crime Stoppers tips helped law enforcement locate Jones in Long Beach, California, and he now faces charges of domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and battery of a dating partner with a dangerous weapon.
McNaight is interested in conducting more community outreach at local high schools and creating more proactive programs. However, the organization’s limited budget has hindered these efforts. At one point, the agency’s anonymous tip fund hit a low of $900.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
