KEANE ALLOCATES ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDING TO SUPPORT COUNTY EFFORT TO COMBAT GUN VIOLENCE

With funding support from Erie County, the reward offer will increase to $1,500 for anonymous tips that result in an arrest and the seizure of an illegal gun plus an added $100 reward for each additional firearm recovered during the investigation

ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK – Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane was joined by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Paul Catalano, Chairman of Crime Stoppers WNY, to announce that the District Attorney’s Office will allocate asset forfeiture funding to support Crime Stoppers WNY by increasing the reward amount for anonymous tips that result in the seizure of illegal guns in Erie County.

Crime Stoppers WNY provides support to law enforcement agencies in Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties by offering cash rewards for anonymous information from the public on unsolved homicides, wanted criminals, illegal guns, narcotics and other high-profile crimes. All information reported to Crime Stoppers WNY by phone (716-867-6161), through their website, or on the “Buffalo Tips” mobile app remains confidential.

District Attorney Keane will allocate money from the office’s equitable sharing asset forfeiture funds to further enhance Erie County’s commitment to reducing gun-involved violence. In 2019, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office joined County Executive Poloncarz to announce county funding to support Crime Stoppers WNY. With the goal of decreasing gun-related homicides, non-fatal shootings and firearm-involved crimes, Crime Stoppers WNY offered a total reward of $1,100 for information that led to an arrest and seizure of an illegal weapon. Through this county-funded initiative, Erie County contributed $1,000 toward the reward for each tip with an additional $100 provided by Crime Stoppers WNY.

Crime Stoppers WNY is operated by a dedicated team of board members who volunteer their time to support its mission and fundraising endeavors. As a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) public service organization, Crime Stoppers WNY relies on donations to offer rewards in exchange for tips from the public. Between January 2022 and July 2024, a total of 84 illegal firearms were seized during a law enforcement investigation as the result of anonymous information submitted to Crime Stoppers WNY. While the initiative to offer reward money for illegal guns has proven successful over the past five years, it has impacted the organization’s reserve funds.

Under the new agreement with Crime Stoppers WNY, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office will contribute $500 in asset forfeiture funds toward the reward for each tip that results in an arrest and the seizure of one illegal firearm. The asset forfeiture funding from the District Attorney’s Office, in addition to the $1,000 reward provided by Erie County, will increase the overall reward amount to $1,500 while alleviating the impact on Crime Stoppers WNY. To further encourage the citizens to come forward with information to assist law enforcement, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office will provide an added $100 reward for each additional gun recovered during the investigation based upon the tip provided to Crime Stoppers WNY.

“Community involvement is critically important in our collaborative effort to both prevent and solve crimes. This funding will support the mission of Crime Stoppers WNY and assist our partners in law enforcement, but more importantly, it will make our community safer for everyone. Tips from the public are crucial to identify potentially dangerous criminals and remove illegal guns from our neighborhoods. Crime Stoppers WNY provides an opportunity for people to anonymously report this information to police. I hope this extra incentive will encourage more citizens to come forward and work collaboratively with law enforcement. I encourage anyone with knowledge about illegal guns, unsolved homicides or any other criminal activity to contact Crime Stoppers WNY,” said Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane.

“Raising the cash reward for illegal guns confiscated in our community is an investment in safer streets and less violence and I thank our partners, District Attorney Keane and Crime Stoppers WNY, for working to make this new reward level a reality,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Protecting public safety is our first responsibility and measures like these are another tool we can use to achieve that goal.”

“Crime Stoppers is committed to helping reduce crime by providing a safe environment for people to come forward with information of known criminals. This commitment from the District Attorney’s Office and Erie County will help in our goal to reduce crime and get guns off the streets of Western New York,” said Paul Catalano, Chairman of Crime Stoppers WNY.

Tips can be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers WNY by calling 716-867-6161, filing a report on their website, or downloading the “Buffalo Tips” app. For more information on Crime Stoppers WNY, visit www.crimestopperswny.org.