Waller County’s growth is also bringing new challenges for area law enforcement, but one organization is stepping up to assist police with taking criminals off the streets.

Dallas Kirkpatrick, vice president of Waller County Crimestoppers, addressed the Brookshire Chamber of Commerce on November 18 at G Tech, 35002 Cooper Road in Brookshire describing how his group works with the media and the public, using anonymous tips reported through its tipline or through the P3 app.

The tipline is 979-826-8266, and can be used to report crimes in Waller County, suspicious or criminal activity or sighting of wanted individuals.

Tips, which are forwarded to area law enforcement for follow-up, could lead to a reward up to $5000.00, Kirkpatrick said, if the information leads to an arrest. Tips in two separate Waller County murder cases each earned a $5,000.00 reward recently, he said.

The key to the program’s success is its guarantee of anonymity, Kirkpatrick said. “Nobody likes a snitch,” he said, stating that bystanders at a crime scene may not come forward publicly at that moment, but may call the tipline later when they are not under observation. “This is an important tool for law enforcement,” he said.

Beginning in 1985, Waller County Crimestoppers first worked with area events such as National Night Out to publicize its tip line. Tips were initially forwarded directly to law enforcement dispatchers, Kirkpatrick said. He said that Waller County Crimestoppers began to focus on training law enforcement officers on how to work with the program and also added appreciation events for officers. Crimestoppers later launched a regional call center to handle incoming calls, relieving the administrative burden on law enforcement, providing a better trained staff for handling the calls and further guaranteeing anonymity for callers. That call center serves 17 separate Crimestoppers organizations, Kirkpatrick said. Calls have increased more than 50 per cent since the call center was implemented, he said.

In 2019, Crimestoppers created the P3 app to allow users to also securely and anonymously report crimes and submit tips. A participant calling in on the tipline or using the app is issued a unique identification number that will later allow them to collect a reward from the program.

The Crimestoppers program is funded by the courts (part of court costs) and is regulated by the state, Kirkpatrick said. That funding is restricted to use for monetary awards and for minimal operating costs for the organization, such as maintenance of its website. The organization is led by an all-volunteer board of directors and depends on local volunteers.

But the Waller County organization wanted to do more – and it launched programs with area schools and also established a scholarship program, which awards a $1,000.00 scholarship to a winner at each of the nine high schools in Waller County, for use at a four-year college or a trade school.

To do more – and to further get the word out about the tipline -- Waller County Crimestoppers had to start and continue raising separate funds.

As part of that effort, the organization will host its first gala – a country western themed event -- on January 31, 2026, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at Hemi Hideout, 1172 Wilpitz Road in Brookshire, Kirkpatrick said. The event, chaired by honorary chairs Judge Trey and Lisa Duhon, will feature dinner and drinks, a live auction, dancing and live music by country artist Matt Mercado. For more information, please contact Jackie Craver at jackiehopkinscraver@gmail.com

For more information on Waller County Crimestoppers, go to wallercountycrimestoppers.org.

The next meeting of the Brookshire Chamber of Commerce will be December 16 at G Tech, 35002 Cooper Road in Brookshire. For more information on the chamber, please contact Tony McAnelly at philipmcanelly@gmail.com or visit brookshirechamber.org.