About Us > Our History
History
Our Journey Began
Crime Solvers of Fairfax County was founded in October 1979 by a group of business leaders in Fairfax County who came together to create something new, and necessary. By pooling corporate donations to establish a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, they launched what would become the oldest Crime Solvers program in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the second in the entire DMV region.
Their vision was simple: that someone in the community always knows something about a crime. The challenge is giving that person a safe, anonymous way to come forward, and a reason to do so.
Today, our volunteer Board continues that founding mission, comprising business leaders and community residents who work together to advance and increase public awareness of the program. We are a community-oriented, volunteer, nonprofit organization operated by a civilian Board of Directors. We are neither funded nor run by the police department. The funds to operate our program come entirely from community donations and fundraising events.
The Crime Stoppers Origin Story
The modern Crime Stoppers movement was born on September 8, 1976, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A young detective, frustrated by unsolved cases and convinced that someone in the community held the key, worked with local television and a community board to offer a $300 reward for an anonymous tip about a college student’s murder. Within 72 hours, the case was solved. That idea grew into a global network of Crime Stoppers programs.
Three years after the national movement launched, Fairfax County civic and business leaders established our local chapter, bringing the power of community-driven, anonymous crime reporting to Northern Virginia.
Our Purpose
Crime Solvers of Fairfax County exists to:
- Expand awareness and participation in Crime Solvers activities among Fairfax County businesses and residents
- Pay rewards to confidential informants for information leading to the arrest and indictment of fugitives or perpetrators of crimes committed in Fairfax County
- Develop a stable and consistent base of community support that allows Crime Solvers to increase the number and amount of reward payouts
- Do such other things as may be necessary to the fulfillment of these purposes
Our goal is to aid law enforcement in the fight against crime by:
- Assisting law enforcement agencies in the apprehension and conviction of criminals, and the recovery of stolen property and illegal narcotics
- Motivating the public to cooperate with law enforcement and provide information on criminal activity
- Facilitating and encouraging the flow of information to, among, and between law enforcement agencies
Our Impact: More Than Four Decades of Results
Over four and a half decades, Crime Solvers of Fairfax County has built a record of real impact:
More than 2,000 criminals and fugitives arrested as a result of tips received
Closure of thousands of cases, including murders, rapes, robberies, and burglaries
More than $240,000 in cash rewards paid to tipsters since the program's inception
643 tips received in 2025, the highest annual total in program history
100% of tips assigned and closed in 2025
Today, Crime Solvers of Fairfax County is supported by an expert Board, a dedicated management team, and ex officio advisors drawn from law, aeronautics, nonprofit management, the FDIC, the FCPD, and the events and entertainment industries.
