In maricopa county and the phoenix area the police and maricopa county prosecutor have set up a number of web sites asking you to snitch on your neighbors. yes the police state continues to grow Original Article http://www.stopduiaz.com http://az.gov/webapp/offender http://az.gov/webapp/offender/main.do http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0125witness25side.html Web sites making the job easier for law enforcement County's criminal database offers pictures, information on offenders Lindsey Collom The Arizona Republic Jan. 25, 2006 12:00 AM It's easier than ever to be a cybercop. With the click of a mouse, local law enforcement agencies have made it possible to find fugitives, check out DUI convicts, or see if sex offenders live nearby. But before Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio offered the criminal database and County Attorney Andrew Thomas posted mugs of convicted DUI offenders, there was www.silentwitness.org "We're one-stop shopping," said Sgt. Paul Penzone, who oversees Silent Witness, a program of the Phoenix Police Department for 27 years. Site users can look at pictures of wanted offenders or search for a fugitive based on his or her physical traits. For example, a search for an Anglo woman with brown hair and brown eyes yielded three results, complete with photos, full description and type of crime. Fugitives wanted for violent crimes are profiled alongside people wanted for theft, probation violations or failure to appear in court. "(We utilize every) opportunity to get any bad guy or girl off the street," Penzone said. "Regardless of the crime they committed, everyone needs to be accountable." Last week, the Sheriff's Office unveiled an online database containing information on 30,000 people with warrants in Maricopa County. There are no pictures, but users can run a search by name, address, ZIP code, criminal offense, gender or race, among others. The hope is that citizens will use the database on www.mcso.org to recognize criminals and give authorities information leading to an arrest. Five arrests had been made as of Monday. Check out these other sites: www.stopduiaz.com. az.gov/webapp/offender. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0125silentwitness25.html Slient Witness reaching out to Valley police agencies Lindsey Collom The Arizona Republic Jan. 25, 2006 12:00 AM For 26 years, police have turned to Silent Witness when they've run out of leads on violent crimes. But for the first time in the organization's history, the number of tips and arrests decreased last year. Now, the organization, which has paid out nearly $1.3 million in rewards and solved more than 9,000 crimes, is shifting its focus. Instead of waiting for Valley police agencies to contact it for help, the agency is soliciting them for cases. The reasons for the decline are unclear, but officers think it may be due to the saturation of police shows with similar reward programs. Just this week, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio started his own Web site, where the public can turn in criminals. Silent Witness typically receives 50 to 70 new cases each month, the bulk from the Phoenix Police Department, which runs the program. It is staffed by a sergeant and six detectives from the Phoenix agency but takes tips on crimes committed in any city. Now, with two additional staffers paid for by Phoenix, the program will be able to solicit other agencies for cases. "We're not in competition with anyone," said Sgt. Paul Penzone, who runs Silent Witness. "We're here to serve everyone." In the past two years, at least two of three cases submitted by Mesa police have reaped results from Silent Witness, Mesa police Sgt. Chuck Trapani said. "It has such a great reputation and people have confidence in the system. It is a great tool because some people are leery of calling police," Trapani said. "With Silent Witness, people feel more comfortable." Two months ago, a tip to Silent Witness helped police arrest Richard Troy Wilson on suspicion of first-degree murder in the Aug. 21 death of Marcus Pe?, 23, of Mesa. Wilson is accused of knocking on Pe?'s apartment door, forcing his way in and shooting Pe? several times. Tips from Silent Witness also helped Mesa police identify two investigative leads last January in a 2004 spree of "Gas Can" robberies. The suspects, often wearing Halloween masks, sprayed gasoline from a bug sprayer or can to threaten employees to turn over cash. Marco Antonio Villarino and Manuel Jesus Zepeda are wanted in connection with the five robberies. If the suspects are found and arrested, the tipsters could receive up to $1,000, the maximum reward from Silent Witness. Reward money comes from fund-raising and private and corporate donations. Some unsolved crimes have larger reward amounts paid for by friends, family or victim-reward funds. Trapani said that Mesa primarily uses Silent Witness for help in solving violent crimes but that the program has a wider scope. Fugitives are also featured for such crimes as probation violations, skipping a court date, drug offenses and shoplifting. Most arrests from Silent Witness tips are for people wanted for felonies. Drug crimes are second and burglary third. "I'm often asked, 'Why are you profiling a property crime or why animal cruelty?' " Penzone said. "If we just chose high-profile cases, we're missing an opportunity to catch somebody." Nearly every Valley media agency, including The Arizona Republic, regularly publishes fugitives' pictures supplied by the program, but Penzone still worries about reaching that single person who can help solve a crime. He would like to post fliers with fugitive information at convenience stores and businesses but needs participants. "With TV, if you don't catch the right person at the right time, you've lost them," he said. "With a flier, that person over 30 days might pass that spot, see the flier there and we have a better chance of them calling in." But media exposure can be a double-edged sword. Arrests were slightly down last year, and Penzone speculated that overexposure bred apathy. "All the exposure, all the police-related TV shows, people can stop paying attention because they see too much of it," he said. "It's the first year we've seen a decrease, and I think part of the reason is people take it for granted." Penzone hopes there will be a time when people with information on a crime will automatically think to call Silent Witness. He has a simple answer for people who ask why they should call. "The people who feel it most are those who are immediately impacted," he said. "Until they are, they don't realize how important it is to help a stranger when they can because that stranger could help you when you're victimized or when someone you love is a victim. Staff reporter Senta Scarborough contributed to this article.