President of Michigan Crime Stoppers set to retire

Crime Stoppers helps catch criminals and fugitives by providing cash rewards for your anonymous tips.

Now the man who's led the Michigan's Crime Stoppers organization in its efforts to get violent offenders off the streets, is retiring.

He's the man behind a crime fighting tool  best known for its 1-800-SPEAK number that lets people provide anonymous tips and receive a reward when they help solve crimes.

But on Wednesday, John Broad, The president of the organization announced his plans to retire at the end of the year.

"It is now time for new leadership to take Crime Stoppers to an even higher level," he said. "So our neighborhoods, our businesses and schools can be free of crime."

Broad has been the president of Crime Stoppers of Michigan since 2004. He says he will spend more time with family but will still work to make neighborhoods safer.

Broad said that he remembers when Crime Stoppers was broke and could not pay out rewards.

"Today Crime Stoppers of Michigan is not only solvent, we have healthy reserves," he said. "We've grown to serve eight counties across Southeast Michigan and last year we had 7,000 tips - the second highest to any Crime Stoppers in America but most of those tips, are in the suburbs."

That's why Broad said a new program was recently introduced to help get rid of a no snitch culture

"A new program partnership with churches and other 31 based organizations to once and for all get rid of no-snitch culture," Broad said. "And replace it with a 'speak up' culture."

The organization announced that board member Daniel DiBardino would serve as interim CEO until a replacement is found.

Broad made his announcement surrounded by the families of crime victims including the family of Paige Stalker, a Grosse Pointe teen who was shot and killed last December, but the case remains unsolved.

Relatives of victims like Carol Smith, whose son was murdered, say this organization is crucial to helping them get the answers they need.

"I thank him for all his hard work and dedication with poster ideas that might help us solve crime for our loved ones," Smith said.