School Snitches Help Solve Crimes Post Falls Tipsters Get Cash Rewards For Turning In Classmates

School administrators at Post Falls High School say they have an extra thousand or so pairs of eyes watching for crimes on campus.

A program called Secret Witness, which allows students to anonymously report infractions such as petty thefts and vandalism, has allowed the school to solve about 25 percent of the crimes reported, said John Billetz, principal.

“What the Secret Witness program is is exactly like they have in any city or any state,” he said. “Basically, we did it to recover stolen property.”

Students who know of a crime can get forms at school, fill them out with details of a crime they witness and turn them back in to the school anonymously. The forms have serial numbers that students keep. Later, the school announces the serial numbers of forms that helped solve a crime, and the students with matching serial numbers go to the school district office for their cash rewards.

“We never, ever see the person,” Billetz said.

The reward money comes from vending machines on campus, and rewards usually are about $20, said Sgt. Pete Marion of the Post Falls Police Department.

Carol Carlson, vice principal, developed the program with the police department.

“It was enough to get kids thinking that there are a lot of eyes out there watching and they never know who might turn them in,” Carlson said.

In its three years, the program has been “a real help” to the police department, Marion said.

“We’ve solved many, many crimes - burglaries, drugs, petty thefts, vandalism,” he said.

The program helped Officer Brett Chapman, who is assigned to the high school, solve five burglaries in which students were breaking into houses during lunch, Marion said.

Not all the students like the idea.

“I don’t like promoting narcs,” said Josh Wobker, a senior. “I think people should be able to solve their own problems.”

But several students said they thought the program is a good idea.

“It just gives people the chance to do the right thing without getting in trouble,” said Brandon Dresser, a freshman.

Kathy Farricy, a junior, said it’s a good idea, but the school can’t guarantee anonymity, she said.

“There are some protections, but the school can’t protect you all the time,” she said.

Freshman Danny Yearsley said he used the Secret Witness program and it led to the return of a friend’s stolen possessions.

“It’s pretty cool,” Yearsley said.

, DataTimes