Woodstock Crime Stoppers - going, going ...

This week's The Woodstock Independent carries a story on Page 14 that should shock Woodstock residents. The Woodstock Area Crime Stoppers may be headed down the drain.

Do Woodstock residents want to see this organization go the way of the Dick Tracy Museum?

I do not recall seeing any "warning" to residents that its existence was in danger. In fact, it operates in an almost-secret mode, out of sight, with little publicity and no reporting to the public of its business activities.

About two years ago, when Crime Stoppers announced rewards in the Beth Bentley Missing Person Case (yes, folks, still a "missing person" case), I began inquiring about Crime Stoppers. I learned that there are several Crime Stoppers organizations. Trying to learn who was involved needed Dick Tracy!

The only "secret" part of their business should be the pay-out of rewards, when arrests and convictions result from anonymous tips.

Now the board of directors of Woodstock Area Crime Stoppers has apparently decided to dissolve. There may still be time to save it.

According to the website of the Illinois Secretary of State, this organization is still in existence. The Registered Agent is Rich Flood, who just happens to be the City Attorney for Woodstock.

The liaison to the Woodstock Police Department, Kurt Rosenquist, recently retired and is now a court security officer of the sheriff's department. Be sure to greet Kurt when you enter the west doors. Actually, he doesn't look to happy in his new position. Maybe the pay for standing on his feet eight hours a day and watching the conveyor belt move just isn't worth it.

Don Peasley's article in The Woodstock Independent says that the Woodstock Crime Stoppers will fold because of "lack of volunteer participants and funds."

Well, duh...  if you don't look for fresh faces to serve as volunteers and you don't ask for money, well, guess what? Then you have a lack of volunteers and a lack of money.

Funny how nobody on the board asked me if I wanted to serve. Maybe I ask too many questions. And nobody asked me if I knew anyone who might want to serve. I could name five people right now. So there is no lack of volunteers. But maybe they weren't wanted in the "club".

Should the Woodstock Area Crime Stoppers continue? And, if it does, should it actually do something, besides meet for breakfast at Vaughan's three-four times a year?