NYPD and Partners Announce Plan for Crime Stoppers Rewards

 

Several Members of the Public Who Came Forward with Tips to Share Credit

 The Police Department on Friday, with its partners in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Transport Workers Union Local 100, and the New York City Police Foundation, announced that several members of the public who provided critical information about a suspect in Tuesday’s subway shooting are in line to share a combined $50,000 worth of Crime Stoppers rewards.

After Tuesday morning’s attack on the subway in Brooklyn, the NYPD issued a plea for help in locating a suspect identified by detectives – and several members of the public came forward with timely, accurate information that helped locate and apprehend the alleged shooter, Frank R. James.

NYPD detectives traced the many tips that streamed into the NYPD and constructed a timeline of events leading to Mr. James’s apprehension on Wednesday afternoon in Lower Manhattan. Members of the department’s Detective Bureau identified five individuals whose information contributed directly to the arrest of Mr. James – approximately 30 hours after the mass attack.

Each of the five individuals performed actions that, under the established Crime Stoppers procedures, elevate them to be considered for receiving reward money. The plan is for the combined $50,000 reward – comprised of contributions from the Police Foundation, the MTA, and TWU Local 100 – to be split evenly among those identified individuals.

The proceeds will flow to those five individuals in line with the standard criteria for distribution of all Crime Stoppers rewards, which is only upon the arrest and indictment of an individual. The Crime Stoppers process affords tipsters anonymity. Federal officials have charged Mr. James, 62, with carrying out an attack on a mass transit system and he has been ordered held without bail after a brief, initial appearance on Thursday in Brooklyn federal court.

"The public is who we serve, but they are also often our best partner," said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. "We appreciate all of those who responded to our call for information to locate this suspect, including all of those whose tips did not pan out. We urged the public to join us in this effort to find this suspect and New Yorkers stepped up."

“Thanks to the help of these five good Samaritans, the NYPD was able to do its job and get a dangerous suspect off the streets just hours after his picture was released,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "The bravery of these five individuals are what truly make New York City the greatest city in the world. Thank you to the MTA, the Transport Workers Union Local 100, and the New York City Police Foundation for providing this $50,000 reward."

"The NYPD is a great partner in protecting millions of subway riders every day,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Witnesses who came forward with tips that helped detectives and federal agents put away the maniac accused of a horrific attack on our city acted the way we encourage New Yorkers to help each other – See Something, Say Something."

Susan L. Birnbaum, the President and CEO of the New York City Police Foundation, said: "The New York City Police Foundation is proud to have stepped forward with immediate funds to increase the reward and drive more attention to the urgent need to capture the person behind a terrible attack on New Yorkers."

"Transport Workers Union Local 100 applauds these alert tipsters," said Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano. "They helped police pinpoint the location of this very dangerous criminal so he could be taken into custody. We now look forward to prosecutors taking the next step: Ensuring he never has the freedom to walk our streets or ride our subway trains again."