OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, Inc. is a unique community program, operated and administrated by citizens through a Board of Directors. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer civilian organization, supported solely on contributions from private citizens, social and civic groups, and local businesses.

Download a Complete list of Board Members, Trustees, Liaisons, & Partners.


Carl Lentz IV - President
<span style="color:black;">Carl Lentz IV<br />President</span> Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida began in 1996 and is a partnership of law enforcement, the community, and the media designed to combat crime and keep our streets safe. We need Crime Stoppers because Crime Stoppers works. It is an extremely effective crime fighting concept that solves crime.

We are grateful to our law enforcement partners. Thank you to our Sheriffs who appoint a liaison to operate the Crime Stoppers program on a daily basis.  Also, thanks to all our law enforcement officers who investigate the various Crime Stoppers tips and report back to the coordinator when a case is solved.

Thanks also go to the community citizens who form the foundation of our Crime Stoppers program. The Volunteer Officers, Directors and Trustees on the Crime Stoppers Board serve with enthusiasm and dedication.  Other members of the public supported Crime Stoppers through our fundraising activities: the Annual Community Banquet and the Inaugural Golf Classic through sponsorships and participation. And then there were the tipsters who call Crime Stoppers when they had information that solve crimes. Finally we greatly appreciate the banks who partner with us to distribute the reward checks.

Thanks also to our local media outlets that publicized unsolved crimes and who regularly promoted the special Crime Stoppers phone number TIP LINE.

Those are the three partners: law enforcement, community citizens, and local media that have worked together effortlessly so that our organization is one of the most effective of the 27 Crime Stoppers programs operating in the state of Florida.
Robert L. Wheeler - Past President
<span style="color:black;">Robert L. Wheeler<br />Past President</span> Crime Stoppers of NE Florida is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors who takes responsibility for fundraising and paying rewards to individuals who anonymously call with information that leads to an arrest.

2009 can be seen as a year of tremendous accomplishments to include an increase in the number of tips received; a substantial increase in the approved rewards, and record breaking fundraising achievements.

The law enforcement supervisors of the 34 agencies in the Seventh Judicial Circuit partnered with us to help make our communities safe. We all acknowledge the commitment of all these heroic men and women who work hard every day to stop criminal activity. We work with these agencies by providing the Tip Line in Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St John counties in order to receive anonymous information to help solve crimes.

Our number of written tips reached 4081 in 2009 through our partnering with citizens, media and law enforcement.

The tips received led to 165 arrests.

Our approved cash rewards for tipsters were valued at $26,469. Even more impressive is the fact that over $133,000 in narcotics was removed from our community; and over $34,746 in personal property was recovered as a result of Crime Stoppers tips.
Rick Staly - President Elect
<span style="color:black;">Rick Staly<br />President Elect</span> The concept of crime stoppers was first developed to combat the three major problems faced by law enforcement in generating tips: fear of REPRISAL, an attitude of APATHY, and reluctance to get INVOLVED.

As a non-profit organization, Crime Stoppers resolves these problems by offering ANONYMITY to people who provide information about crimes; and by paying REWARDS when the information supplied leads to arrest. By guaranteeing a tipster's anonymity, Crime Stoppers allows the tipster to give information in a positive atmosphere without the prospect of retribution. By offering cash rewards for information leading to indictment or arrests, the program encourages otherwise reluctant tipsters to provide information.

We need Crime Stoppers because Crime Stoppers works. It is an extremely effective crime-fighting concept that solves crime. And, in order to continue to grow, we must build a strong communication network within our communities.
John Graham - Leadership Giving
<span style="color:black;">John Graham<br />Leadership Giving</span> Our donors deserve our deepest appreciation for their desire to help, for the example they set for others, and for their Leadership Giving.

Leadership and personal commitment are the key factors in any successful endeavor. Crime Stoppers is blessed to have the very best corporate and civic leadership involved in making the organization a success.

With their continued help and encouragement, I am certain that we will be able to unite the communities we serve to solve and prevent crime, as never before.
Bonnie Warner - V.P. Programs
<span style="color:black;">Bonnie Warner<br />V.P. Programs</span> Program Development is central to the mission of Crime Stoppers. It brings people together to clarify and develop goals, strategies and action steps in order to serve the citizens in our four counties.

Crime Stoppers implements many activities and programs that increased Crime Stoppers visibility in the community.

Our Program Specialty items advertised the tipline and were distributed at community events throughout the year. The tipline is also widely seen on the bright yellow Crimestoppers bumper stickers on local law enforcement patrol cars.

Partnering with the State Attorney Office, School Administrators, and Sheriff Offices, our four county Student Crime Stoppers Poster Contest is a far reaching educational program.  The grand prize winning posters are displayed in every classroom in 164 schools, educating our children how to help make their schools safe.  In 2009, all VOTRAN buses displayed the winning Volusia and Flagler Posters as well.
Kim Lohman - V.P. Communications
<span style="color:black;">Kim Lohman<br />V.P. Communications</span> Communication is the articulation of sending a message through different media. In our Crime Stoppers organization the content of our message is consistent: to help our community solve and prevent crime through citizen participation. Our methods of communications include monthly Board Meetings; media contact with newspapers, television, and radio; bumper stickers on patrol cars, billboards, brochures, winning student posters displayed in the classrooms of 164 schools and on all Votran buses, bi-annual Newsletters, fundraisers, trust fund reports, speaking engagements, safety fairs, and annual reports.


In past years, the main method of communication for anonymous tipsters has been the use of our anonymous tipline, 1-888-277-TIPS. In 2008, Crime Stoppers upgraded to a “message cloaking server” that receives a text tip and applies an encrypted alias I.D. This allows the tip to remain anonymous, and allows for an investigator to text back for more information as needed.

Thanks to Lamar Advertising, we are able to use electronic media to promote our Text Tipping services and raise awareness.

Bright House Networks, Com Cast Broadcasting and The Pennysaver for running public service spots for us. We are very enthused about the weekly features that run in the Orlando Sentinel’s Volusia Edition, Home Town News, and The Daytona Times as a community service. We thank the Daytona News-Journal for partnering with us in our Inaugural Golf Classic as a Premium Sponsor.

Also, several additional broadcast media favored communication on Crime Stoppers’ stories this past year. One terrific broadcast is Local 6 “Catch a Crook” which has featured Crime Stoppers’ cases. Bright House Networks offers “Crime on Demand”. Clear Channel streams Crime Stopper announcements to report animal fighting anonymously for rewards.
Jorge Carvajal - V.P. Resource Development
<span style="color:black;">Jorge Carvajal<br />V.P. Resource Development</span> Our planning, grant-writing, organizational development and integration into the community brought about continued financial success in 2009. We are tremendously grateful for the financial support from the Office of the Attorney General Crime Stoppers Trust Fund, and grateful that we are able to supplement those funds with corporate and individual sponsorships at our fundraising events.

Resource Development is a broad term defined by our efforts to become a financially independent organization. Our Resource Development spans leadership in four counties.

In 2010, we look forward to our 12th Annual Community Banquet on April 22nd.
Joie Alexander - V.P. Government Relations
<span style="color:black;">Joie Alexander<br />V.P. Government Relations</span> Crime Stoppers is one of many organizations that partner with our local municipalities, yet it is unique in its results and outcomes. It is truly a rare organization that shows increased results year after year, even as the Office of the Attorney General Crime Stoppers Trust Fund has steadily decreased.

The 165 arrests this year from Crime Stoppers’ tips is the living testimony of the organizations effectiveness in securing outcomes.

This success demonstrates our ability to work together with local municipalities to help solve and prevent crime in our communities. At a time such as this, when government budgets are under increased restrictions, our Government Relations Committee has the vital role in acquiring sponsorships from all of our neighboring governmental agencies.

Statutorily the Clerks of the Court collect $20 from all fines, $17 of which goes to the Crime Stoppers Trust Fund and $3 to the Clerk’s office for a collection fee.

It is well known that Crime Stoppers helps to reduce costs to government by enhancing resources. It is essential that our local municipalities effectively support Crime Stoppers to that end.
John Roicki - Treasurer
<span style="color:black;">John Roicki<br />Treasurer</span> As Treasurer of the Board, I am responsible for the protection and custody of Crime Stoppers funds. I am pleased to report that in 2009 our organization met the challenge of balancing increased operational expenses and increased rewards with reduced Trust Fund dollars. This was achieved by our fundraising efforts, which resulted in more income than we received from our Trust Fund dollars for the second year in a row.

As you will see in the 2009 Financial Report, our organization demonstrates fiscal stability and growth. Our total revenue for 2009 was 92% of our projected revenue, of which we are very pleased, given the downturn of the economy.

In 2004, the Board of Directors established the Crime Stoppers Endowment Fund. Endowment funds are received from our donors with the restriction that the principal is not expendable. All endowment funds are pooled for investment purposes to emulate the endowment investment program adopted by the Board of Directors. Each separately invested endowment fund is reviewed periodically to determine if it serves Crime Stoppers investment goals.

Our 2010 Crime Stoppers’ Budget again forecasts increased operating expenses and increased rewards while our 2009-10 Trust Fund dollars are again reduced. Financial support from our local law enforcement, local municipalities, individuals and businesses assure our success.
Ann Breidenstein - Secretary
<span style="color:black;">Ann Breidenstein<br />Secretary</span> Our Board of Directors certainly demonstrated strength and commitment in 2009. It has been a privilege and honor to serve as Secretary of this worthwhile community organization.