History - In the spring of 1985, a series of burglaries occurred in El Dorado, Amador, and Calaveras counties.  Amador County was especially hard in the Pine Grove Area.  When Newsom’s Video Rainbow suffered a loss of over $20,000.00, something had to be done.  A reward of $500.00 was offered.  No questions asked.  This incident resulted in the creation of the Amador Secret Witness Program.

Purpose - Because police officers are often unable to know everything that is going on in the community, citizen participation in law enforcement and crime prevention is crucial.  Amador Secret Witness is designed to provide incentives to community members for becoming involved in crime prevention and resolution.

Citizens are offered opportunities to make the community a safer place to live by becoming involved in crime prevention.  In addition to making a positive contribution to the community, individuals can enjoy some monetary reward for their efforts thanks to the Amador Secret Witness Program.

Funding - Reward money is drawn from a pot that is funded by donations from local businesses and individuals.  Amador Secret Witness funds are disbursed and monitored by a non-paid, volunteer Board of Directors consisting of community members.  The funds in the Amador Secret Witness fund are used to pay rewards for information leading to arrest and arraignment. 

How the Program Works - Amador Secret Witness is a three pronged effort of community, law enforcement, and media working together in the fight against crime.  Amador Secret Witness relies on the anonymous tips of community members.  When a citizen or visitor to the community becomes aware of criminal activity, the individual can make an anonymous phone call to a 24 hour, 7 day a week Hotline and provide the anonymous information. The caller does not have to reveal his or her identity; just give information on the crime.  The caller will then be given a code number.  The information is then sent to the law enforcement agency responsible for acting on the tip.  If the information leads to the arrest and arraignment of a criminal, a place will be set for the caller to pick up the cash reward money.  Rewards vary depending on the value of the information.