coordinator advises campus administrators and functions as a liaison between the faculty and the law enforcement agency, as well as between students and the agency. The coordinator always should keep promises made to students and faculty to maintain the established trusting relationships. Informants and victims must remain anonymous at their request. Finally, the agency should commit a wellpublicized phone tip line to the program, if not done so by the campus administrators.

Campus Administrators Commitment

The commitment of campus administrators is crucial to the success of a Scholastic Crime Stoppers program. The more encouragement and autonomy the students receive from these individuals, the greater the probability of a successful program. 5 While administrators should tailor the program to fit their schools’ unique needs,6 they also should focus primarily on accepting that campus crime exists and, in turn, knowing how to handle it. Actively responding to campus crime can decrease campus victimization rates in the long run and create a positive perception of campus safety by students, faculty, and the public.

Once fully committed, administrators should dedicate a well-publicized phone tip line to the program or provide another way for students to anonymously convey crime tips, such as comment boxes. The school helps the program with Scholastic Crime Stopper hot lines, message billboards, video reenactments, flyers, logos, and faculty in-class announcements.7 The faculty effectively must disseminate information and develop an in-service workshop to train staff members and foster their awareness of the program’s importance for campus safety.

Finally, campus administrators should designate an effective, wellrespected faculty advisor to the program, such as an assistant principal or senior staff member. The advisor selects the first student board of directors, attends all student board meetings as a nonvoting board member,8 and appoints successive student board members, although schools should implement a formal venue for student applications. The advisor constantly monitors the academic standing of student board members. Students who fall in academic standing, as defined by the advisor or administrators, at any time during the academic year should be dismissed from board duties. The faculty advisor functions as a liaison between the campus administration and students, keeps students abreast of campus rules and policies, and sets meeting locations and dates. The advisor also functions as liaison between parents and students and ensures that parents only have a secondary support role.9 Any greater role can unduly influence the student autonomy of the program. The faculty advisor proves instrumental in promoting the program and raising funds for it and, finally, implements a procedure for the anonymous payout of rewards.

Student Commitment

The student board of directors of a Scholastic Crime Stoppers program is the nucleus of the organization. Student board members must believe in the program’s benefits and commit to the concept. They must attend all board meetings and function as ambassadors for the program, which entails a substantial time commitment. Additionally, student board members may have voting rights at the local Crime Stoppers board meetings, depending on the program’s policies.

The role of the student board of directors comprises the advertising and marketing of the program, as well as raising funds through donations, bake sales, school dances, and booster club events. The board also discusses crime information and determines reward amounts,10 but it never investigates a crime.11 Further, the identity of informants, victims, and suspects remains confidential. 12 Informants are referred to only by their assigned code number, and board members must respect the anonymity requirement. Participating students must remain in good academic standing and stay