The concept of Crime Stoppers was originated in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1976 by Police Detective Greg Macaleese. Members of this local community, in partnership with the media and law enforcement, began an effort to provide crime-solving assistance to law enforcement. A cash reward was offered, anonymously, to persons who telephoned the Crime Stoppers hot line with information which led to the arrest and indictment of felony offenders. 

The Crime Stoppers program has enjoyed great success, boasting an average conviction rate of 95% in cases solved by Crime Stoppers Tips. The Crime Stoppers programs world-wide have solved over a million crimes and recovered over 6 billion dollars worth of stolen property and narcotics. (CSI  statistics).

 Today there are over 1000 Crime Stoppers programs in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Bahamas, British West Indies, Micronesia, and other nations.