History of Crime Stoppers

The Crime Stoppers program began with a tragic and senseless crime.

In July 1976, Michael Carmen, a young college student just two weeks away from his wedding, was shot during a robbery while working an extra shift at an Albuquerque, New Mexico gas station. Gravely wounded by a shotgun blast, Michael survived just long enough to try to tell detectives who had shot him—but he was unable to form the words. No witnesses came forward, and the case seemed destined to go unsolved.

Determined to find answers, Albuquerque Police Detective Greg MacAleese knew a new approach was needed. Drawing on his background as a newspaper reporter, MacAleese created a televised reenactment of the crime. He guaranteed anonymity for anyone who called in with information and personally offered a cash reward to encourage tips.

The response was immediate. Just hours after the reenactment aired on KOAT-TV, MacAleese received a tip from someone who recognized a car seen speeding away from the scene. That lead resulted in the arrest of two suspects within 72 hours—solving Michael’s murder and connecting the suspects to several armed robberies.

Other tips continued to come in, including one that led to solving a rape case. MacAleese saw the power of community-driven crime solving and helped establish the first official Crime Stoppers program with the support of the Albuquerque Police Department and local citizens.

Since then, Crime Stoppers has grown into a worldwide program, proving that when law enforcement, the media, and the public work together, communities become safer. For his groundbreaking work, Detective MacAleese was honored as Police Officer of the Year and named one of the most influential Americans of the 1970s.

Today, Crime Stoppers programs across the globe continue to empower people to speak up and stop crime—anonymously and effectively.