Jeff Parcell drives his restored ’72 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible in Des Plaines’ Fourth of July parades to raise awareness of Crime Stoppers.
Anderson Lock’s Access Control Manager, Jeff Parcell, is Vice President of the Des Plaines’ Crime Stoppers organization. The local group, which is a part of Illinois State Crime Stoppers, works to prevent and solve crimes in our community and schools.
Throughout the many years that Jeff has served on the board, which meets monthly in City Hall, he has observed dramatic examples of crime being stopped. For example, representatives from local schools, who are also board members, initiated discussions about vandalism and theft, particularly at high school facilities.
Now, it seems, security cameras are everywhere and are taken for granted, but a few years ago there were still concerns about their use. Input from security professionals, like Jeff, and from police officers who also serve on the Crime Stoppers board, helped guide the school district’s decision to install surveillance cameras throughout the high schools.
School representatives report that incidents of both vandalism and theft have been significantly reduced. In addition to helping identify culprits, the cameras also serve as deterrents to crime.
Des Plaines Crime Stoppers is not-for-profit group that pays cash rewards for information about a crime or fugitive that leads to an arrest or the recovery of contraband. The Des Plaines Police Department has assigned an officer to act as a liaison with Crime Stoppers. When a tip is received, it is forwarded to the liaison officer. Reward money comes from various fund raising activities and donations from private individuals and organizations.
The Illinois State Crime Stoppers Association is a broad-based crime fighting and crime prevention program whose mission is to develop and facilitate Crime Stoppers programs through the State of Illinois.