PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Law enforcement officials say when it comes to solving crime, no tip is too big or too small, and the only bad tips are the ones that aren’t shared.
From burglaries to murders, there are dozens of crimes still waiting to be solved.
“From cold cases to current cases, we know that many of our crimes occur in front of countless people, so someone knows something,” said Suffolk Police Detective Shelly Koziana.
It’s what someone does with what they know that can make the difference. That’s why the Suffolk and Newport News police departments use crime tip lines. You can download the P3tips app or call 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, but often people don’t use these tools.
“Sometimes I know people feel like, ‘Chief, this is a small thing, it probably doesn’t matter, but it’s like pieces of a puzzle and that might be the only piece we’re looking for,’” Police Chief Steve said of Newport News.
They are pieces that can solve crimes, like the two separate shootings in September in Newport News that left two teenagers dead. That case remains unsolved.
“On both occasions there were individuals in the community,” Drew said. “There were individuals that we know saw things.”
Suffolk detectives are searching for suspects in the September shooting that left two people dead and three others hospitalized. Police are counting on residents to help them build a safer community.
“There have been murders in front of 20 people and no one knows anything,” Koziana said, “and until it happens to them, I believe that unfortunately this would be the change.”
You can already make a difference before then.
“Our tip line, the Crime Solvers, you just got a number,” Drew said. “You don’t even have to give your name. I’m not even asking you to walk into a courtroom to testify, I’m just asking to give us some information that can point us in the right direction.”
All submitted tips are anonymous. You will be given an identification number upon registration, but you will never have to provide your name. Your tips can even earn you cash rewards. For more information about the Virginia Peninsula Crime Line, click here. Click for more information about the Suffolk Crime Line here. You can call 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or download the P3 Tips app.
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