Green Bay Crime Stoppers Makes History as First US Program to Earn Top National Honor

A Wisconsin First That Resonates Nationwide

Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers has become the first Crime Stoppers program in the U.S. to receive the Standard of Excellence Award from Crime Stoppers USA — a milestone that puts a small Wisconsin nonprofit at the top of a nationally recognized public safety movement. The announcement, made on Friday, October 23, is being celebrated not just as a local achievement, but as a landmark moment for community-driven crime prevention across the country.

The award marks the program's third national recognition in five years. Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers has also received awards for its Students Stopping Crime school mat and Illegal Firearms mat programs. The latest Standard of Excellence Award now joins those honors, making the Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers one of the most recognized Crime Stoppers programs across the country.

What the Award Means — and Why It Matters

Crime Stoppers works with local law enforcement, giving the people they serve an easy way to submit tips and help solve crimes anonymously. That simple but powerful model has been the backbone of the organization's success. The Standard of Excellence designation signals that Green Bay's program doesn't just participate in that model — it exemplifies it at the highest level.

Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors, working in partnership with law enforcement, local media, and the public. That collaborative structure, driven by volunteers rather than a top-down bureaucracy, makes the national recognition even more remarkable. It's a reminder that community organizations, when run with discipline and purpose, can set standards that larger, better-funded institutions haven't yet reached.

The People Behind the Recognition

Bill Morgan, the President of the Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers Board of Directors, said the recognition "reflects the dedication of everyone who has helped build Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers into the program it is today." That sentiment captures something real — national awards like this don't happen overnight. They're the product of years of unglamorous, consistent work by people who believe that informed, engaged communities are safer communities.

Hans Lex, a coordinator with the Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers, noted that "people are starting to recognize that they have the ability to provide information to us on an anonymous basis that then goes to law enforcement and then helps law enforcement solve the crime," adding that "it makes the community safer, the citizens are taking into this process itself, and it makes a stronger community."

A Model Worth Replicating

Crime Stoppers USA Chairperson Cheryl Sinacola pointed out that "Crime Stoppers organizations across the country are all independent" — not one big organization — and that "training is super important" in keeping each local program effective and accountable. That independence is precisely what makes Green Bay's achievement so significant. There's no corporate infrastructure propping them up — just a community that took ownership of its own safety.

As Crime Stoppers programs across the country look for ways to improve their own operations, Green Bay now serves as a blueprint. The honors place Green Bay among the most recognized Crime Stoppers programs in the country, and organizers called it a major accomplishment not only for Green Bay, but also for helping spread the word about Crime Stoppers nationwide. With three national awards in five years, the question is no longer whether Green Bay's program is exceptional — it's whether other cities are paying close enough attention to follow suit.