Crime Stoppers now seeks tips to catch animal abusers
NEW YORK - Scrabble, a very playful pit bull, has had the type of life the NYPD is cracking down on.
Commissioner Bratton joined others at the ASPCA Wednesday to announce that the public is now able to anonymously report suspected animal cruelty cases in any of the five boroughs through the Crime Stoppers program for the first time in city history.
The New York City Police Foundation, a nonprofit, pays the rewards for anonymous tips that lead to arrest and conviction. But the program relies on the public to call in or go online with tips about crimes.
The police and the ASPCA began a partnership last year to get tougher on people abusing animals. Since January, arrests have gone up 28 percent. The number of animals treated and/or rescued has more than doubled.
Officials say Crime Stoppers will be crucial in making sure the public helps authorities find animal abusers quicker than before.
Rewards for information leading to an arrest and conviction can get as high as $2,500.