Untitled Document
Paula Morrow has spent a significant portion of her
law-enforcement career maintaining a low profile in the Springfield Police
Department’s narcotics unit — occasionally going undercover,
often working with informants. It’s an assignment she says she truly
enjoyed but one that she realizes she can never return to since accepting a
new assignment as coordinator for Sangamon and Menard Counties CrimeStoppers. Morrow will replace Sarah Iaiennaro as the face we
see in regular television spots talking about the crime of the week. “That’s part of the position. I’m
fine with that,” she says. “CrimeStoppers is something
I’ve always wanted to do. The position only becomes available once
every three years, and I wanted the opportunity to try it.”
Many positions at SPD have a time limit; in
narcotics, it’s two years. Morrow rotated out of that unit in April
2006. Despite the drastic change in visibility, much of
Morrow’s new job mirrors her old one: She’s still trying to
coax information from people who have knowledge of criminal activity, still
focused on shielding the identity of anybody courageous enough to share
what he or she knows. “In the narcotics unit, we protected our
informants. We did a lot of stuff to make sure we protected their
identity,” she says. “[At CrimeStoppers], we never even ask
their names.”
Without names or other identifying information,
Morrow has no way to call a tipster back if she realizes that she needs
more information. She must earn a caller’s trust during the first
conversation so that he or she will feel comfortable enough to call back
later. “I’ve already had people call and ask for me,” she
says.
Anyone who calls during regular business hours will
get Morrow; after hours, the CrimeStoppers number is answered by dispatch.
Morrow has also worked as a regular patrol officer
and was the neighborhood police officer for the east-side beat 300
(virtually everything north of South Grand) for about 18 months, beginning
in 2003. Some might think that her current position —
sitting in an office near the food court at White Oaks Mall, occasionally
appearing in front of a television camera — is perhaps less dangerous
or less stressful than her previous assignments. Morrow doesn’t see
it that way. “Things can happen at the mall, and
you’re still in a marked car. I don’t really know that
there’s less of a chance of getting into something good,” she
says. “This is a different kind of police work but way more
responsibility than when I was in patrol. There’s a lot to do, and
I’m one person. I find it challenging. I don’t stop thinking
about it when I go home.”
Tipsters can earn up to $1,000, depending on the
significance of the information they provide.
CrimeStoppers may be reached at 217-788-8427 or
800-397-2288.
Contact Dusty Rhodes at drhodes@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 6, 2007.
