DeSoto County Crime Stoppers is in hot water with State Auditor Shad White for allegedly spending hundreds of thousands of dollars while failing to perform its basic duty – report tips on crimes to law enforcement.
A report from White’s office found that DeSoto County Crime Stoppers spent roughly $400,000 over 10 years without being able to provide any evidence that it offered tips to local law enforcement. DeSoto County Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit that exists to reduce crime in the north Mississippi county by providing a service where citizens can submit anonymous tips of potential criminal activity.
The auditor’s report follows a move by local municipalities and the county as a whole to hold Crime Stoppers accountable. The DeSoto Times Tribune reported in June that the cities of Southaven, Hernando, and Olive Branch joined DeSoto County in halting payments to the nonprofit in pursuit of clarity as to where their money was going and how it was being spent.
Qualms the cities and county espoused were seemingly validated by White’s team, as analysts in the auditor’s office report the following findings:
- DeSoto County Crime Stoppers paid extra fees to keep one of their two tip hotlines unpublished on the internet.
- DeSoto County Crime Stoppers could not produce any records showing it collected or gave tips to law enforcement over a 10-year period. They provided no records showing a reward paid to an informant in the last decade.
- Records show over $240,000 — 60% of total spending — went to employee salaries. Further records show the organization paid only one employee for years.
- In 2023 and 2024, DeSoto County Crime Stoppers purchased 3,000 calendars and paid over $600 to ship them 13 miles from a company in Hernando to their address in Horn Lake.
“Preventing spillover crime from the notoriously dangerous city of Memphis is a top priority for Mississippians in DeSoto County, but my fear after reviewing this audit is that there is no proof that Crime Stoppers helps in that mission,” White said. “At minimum, DeSoto Crime Stoppers needs to keep some kind of records showing they are an effective organization.”
DeSoto County Crime Stoppers could not be reached for comment on the auditor’s report. However, DeSoto County attorney Adam Emerson, speaking on behalf of the county’s board of supervisors, weighed in on the findings, noting that funds will continue to be withheld from the organization.
“The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors is aware of, and agrees with, the Auditor’s findings and recommendations related to Crime Stoppers,” Emerson told Fox 13 out of Memphis. “The Board will continue withholding funds from Crime Stoppers and explore alternatives for crime-prevention organizations.”
