Crime Check Marks Anniversary

The group that oversees Block Watch, the Secret Witness Program and began the Crime Check hotline has celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Last week marked the 25th anniversary of Crime Check, a non-profit organization started by downtown service clubs in 1970 to further citizen involvement and support of law enforcement.

The service clubs included Lions, Exchange, Kiwanis, Rotary and the Optimists.

The organization’s work includes overseeing the Block Watch program, the Crime Check phone number for reporting suspicious incidents, and the Secret Witness Program, which has awarded more than $40,000 in cash for tips that solved crimes.

Steve Phillabaum of Crime Check of Spokane County said it’s tough to put a figure on the number of crimes Secret Witness has helped law enforcement solve.

“When you solve one crime, you solve many and we’ve solved hundreds,” said Phillabaum.

, DataTimes