A comment by Sheriff Gary Roy during a community meet and greet in Breeding last week has led to online discussion about a confidential tipline operated by the Columbia Police Department.
Roy commented that he had not received any tips from the tipline since he has been with the sheriff’s office and said he didn’t know if that meant the city police are not sharing information with his department.
The crime tipline, called Cally’s Line, is funded by local business owner Stacey Hatcher Bishop. It is named after Bishop’s daughter, who died in January 2019 following a drug overdose. Residents can call 270-378-2259 and leave anonymous tips, or send texts, photos and videos.
Roy later went on Facebook Live to say he misspoke. He realized he received a call around a month and a half ago about some stolen merchandise. Roy said he had been visiting with his father at the time of the call.
“It actually slipped my mind,” Roy said.
Sheriff Roy publicly apologized and said he had talked with Officer Travis Bell, who operates the tipline, and Columbia Police Chief Evan Burton.
“When I said that, I did make a mistake. I misquoted that and my apologies,” Roy said.
Two days later, Chief Burton issued a press release about the tipline. He said it had been stated that calls were not being shared with other local law enforcement agencies, and he wanted to assure the community that the statement was incorrect.
Burton said the tipline shares information with other agencies, including the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, e911 dispatch, and surrounding law enforcement agencies.
The Community Voice asked for a log of the number of calls and texts received by the tipline and which agency those contacts were referred to. Burton said they had not been keeping a log, but since the recent controversy they will now begin doing so.
Burton searched the mobile phone data used for Cally’s calls to retrieve data following the Voice’s request. He said the tipline received one text and five calls in January, one text and nine calls in February, and three texts and six calls in March up through March 13.
“We distribute that information to city, county, state and even surrounding counties,” Burton said. “We want the community to know the importance of Cally’s Line and how your voice makes a difference, how your tip makes a difference. So, I really, really do not want false information out there saying the tipline does not work, because I have seen success.”
Burton said most tips are drug-related but there are also tips about thefts and other crimes. They encourage all tips, he added. The tipline has provided information that has helped in drug trafficking investigations and theft recoveries in Adair County, Burton said.
Callers can remain anonymous or they can provide their name if they choose to do so. Numbers, voices and names are redacted before information is released, he noted.
Burton said they will return calls at times when requested but have found that to be difficult, mainly because the person providing the tip may not be in a safe place to follow up with a conversation.
Burton said Officer Bell monitors the tipline and passes along information, but they can’t guarantee that all law enforcement agencies will follow up on each call. He does know they have been successful with cases following calls, and leads sometimes help in cases that are already active.
“So, I’m passionate about it, and I want the community to know that the tipline, it does work,” Burton said.
Report illegal activities in Adair County to the Columbia Police Department Crime Tip-Line (Cally’s Line) at 270-378-2259.
By Sharon Burton
snburton@adairvoice.com
