Season 5 of our podcast, The Balanced Voice with Rania Mankarious started today! Episode 57 is the first episode of a multi-part series on the fentanyl crisis in America. In this episode, Rania and this season’s co-host Jennifer interviewed Harris County Sheriff Deputy Leggett about her near-death experience after being exposed to fentanyl while on a service call. Together, they dive into what happened and the immediate action she took that saved her life.     Special thank you to our Season 5 sponsor Flip Lok for making this episode possible. Learn more about Flip Lok at www.fliplok.com.   To request FREE Narcan Nasal Spray, please email scp@crime-stoppers.org.

“They’re taking those photos and they’re manipulating them, creating highly sexualized sometimes pornographic content and then using it for extortion and blackmail.” Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankarious speaks to Lauren Talarico on KHOU 11 about how online predators are using kid and teen pictures taken from social media sites like SnapChat and Instagram and manipulating them to extort them. *What should children and parents know about sextortion? Crime Stoppers recommends victims do the following: Stop all commutations. Document everything. Do not give them money or meet any other demands. Report it to the FBI, Internet Crimes Against Children and local officials. Post on social media that this has happened to warn other contacts. Talk honestly with your kids. Watch full story here:

This is why we do what we do. On October 25, on The Roula & Ryan Morning Show on KRBE, the mother of Julian Castro called in to talk her son’s tragic death on June 6, 2022. We have been helping the Castro family since they day he was murdered to help find the senseless suspects who forced their way into his home, shooting and killing him for unknown reasons. Please take a moment to listen to her plea: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeStoppersOfHouston/videos/579518063928733 There is now an increased reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the charging and/or arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Julian’s family and friends have been devastated by this loss. It has been nearly five months since he was killed, and the killers are still out there. We will continue to help the Castro family, and so many others, seek justice for their loved ones. Call 713-222-TIPS(8477) if you have ANY information.

Every year in October, advocates around the country are busy with activities for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We are invited to speak on panels, give presentations at schools, and provide information to community members at health fairs and other events. We are asked about services for those who are being abused and how one can avoid getting into a relationship with someone who may be abusive. These are important questions that may help some survivors with safety, but they put the responsibility of solving the problem on those who have the least power to do so in the relationship. In the United States, our approach to dealing with domestic violence has largely been reactive and focused on how survivors should behave after violence has been committed against them by someone they love. For example, survivors are often told to leave their partners, call the police, or obtain a protective order, even though doing these things often actually increases their risk of being killed. Additionally, this one-size-fits-all approach does not take into account the experiences of marginalized communities in dealing with the criminal justice or child welfare systems, or the less prosecutable, but very effective, tactics of power and control such […]

Public libraries are an important part of any society and can connect you to all sorts of information on any subject or question you may have. While many think of libraries as simply a room full of books, that could not be farther from the truth; with the help of a library, you can be connected to resources, both digital and physical, inside and outside of our building, including information on fire safety, emergency preparedness, and firework safety that is appropriate for any age. For children, we have books available to check out both in-house and online. These range in topics from how to survive a fire, what to do in case of an emergency, how to interact with emergency services, and how to deal with the aftermath of a disaster. These are incredibly important resources for children, as it helps them understand the world around them, and how to safely navigate it both physically and emotionally. For adults, library resources include books, databases, and reference materials from entities such as FEMA that cover a myriad of topics including how to elevate your flood-prone house, questions about the National Flood Insurance Program, and reducing damage from localized flooding. Two examples […]

As the numbers of seniors increase in population, we see ads for independent living communities: Enjoy a Resort-Like Living Environment Graciousness and Hospitality Throughout Each Day in a Warm, Residential Environment Fine Restaurant-type Dining Carefree Lifestyle Tailored to Your Needs Who wouldn’t want this for a residence? Unfortunately, one important feature is not mentioned: security. This oversight gave a murderer access to over a dozen women in four different independent living establishments in Collin and Dallas Counties, from April 2016 to his eventual arrest in March 2018. He posed as a maintenance worker and unsuspecting residents opened their door to him believing they were safe in their apartment at their establishment. As we learned our loved ones had been murdered, we became aware how this predator gained access to the vulnerable. On a recent tour of an independent living establishment, assurances were made that garage entry was secure with the gate down, unless residents entered, or a staff member was monitoring the open gate. Sure enough, the gate was up, entry into the garage was easily accessible and there was no staff in sight. In those instances, residents should be advised not to open their door unless they know who […]

As crime continues to be politicized, sadly Crime Stoppers is becoming a target. While none of this will deter us from being a voice for victims, when possible, we will share the attacks and our response. Read more below: In 2019, Crime Stoppers of Houston began noticing a trend in which many of the defendants charged with murder were released on multiple felony bonds, person recognizance (PR) bonds, motion to revoke bond denied and bond forfeiture. Since then, we have compiled a list of victims killed/murdered by defendants that had been released on the above at the time of their death.  Sadly, this list has grown to over 160 men, women and children who have lost their lives at the hands defendants that have shown time and time again that they are a direct threat to our community.  We are not talking about low level felony case or misdemeanor case or even drug related case.  We are talking about violent felonies as defined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting of 2019 that includes murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forceable rape, robbery, and aggravated assaults. All of which are arguably the most feared types of victimization in our society. Crime Stoppers of Houston […]