East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers posted a new video appeal on Facebook Sunday, asking anyone in the Knoxville area who recognizes the people shown or knows their whereabouts to come forward with an anonymous tip. The post, titled simply “Recognize someone?”, is the latest in a steady stream of public appeals the organization has issued in recent weeks as it works with local police to track down suspects and persons of interest.
The nonprofit is offering potential cash rewards for tips that lead to an arrest, according to East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers. Anyone with information can submit a tip through the P3 Tips app, online at easttnvalleycrimestoppers.org, by phone, or by texting ETTIPS to 738477. As with any Crime Stoppers appeal, anyone pictured or named is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, a protection rooted in Article I, Section 9 of the Tennessee Constitution and federal law, according to Justia Law.
How the Reward System Actually Works
Crime Stoppers caps its standard cash reward at $2,000, but that payout is only available to tipsters who submit information directly to the organization rather than to police, per East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers. For cases involving crimes against children or first responders, the nonprofit automatically doubles that offer up to $4,000. None of that reward money comes from tax dollars — it is funded entirely through private donations, grants, and fundraising events such as the group's annual Clays Against Crime tournament.
The organization also guarantees tipster anonymity through technical safeguards: standalone phone lines without caller ID, encrypted web forms that strip IP addresses and metadata, and unique tip ID numbers used in place of personal names. That infrastructure has been in place since the group's founding, and it expanded further in November 2025 when Crime Stoppers added a dedicated text-to-tip short code, as reported by WBIR.
A Regional Network Years in the Making
East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers launched on May 1, 2021, as a joint effort between Knoxville city leadership and the Knoxville Police Department before growing into an independent regional 501(c)(3) nonprofit, according to the City of Knoxville. It now partners with more than 30 law enforcement agencies spanning Knox, Blount, Anderson, Jefferson, Grainger, and Loudon counties, per the Loudon County Sheriff's Office, which explains why alerts like Sunday's video often reach well beyond a single jurisdiction.
The program's track record has grown substantially since its early years. Through the end of 2023, the organization had received 6,072 anonymous tips, leading to 118 arrests, 70 fugitive apprehensions, 67 served warrants, and $49,500 in distributed rewards, WBIR reported in January 2024. By May 31, 2026, those cumulative numbers had climbed to 625 arrests, 425 cleared cases, $110,575 in cash rewards paid out, and $329,379 in recovered property and drugs, according to East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.
Recent Alerts Show the Pattern
Sunday's appeal follows a busy stretch of public identification requests from the organization. Hoodline has tracked a widening manhunt for an aggravated assault suspect across three counties, along with separate appeals tied to a North Ridge Crossing incident, a Ray Mears Boulevard theft case, and an effort to identify three people connected to an incident on Cumberland Avenue. Earlier in the month, the group also issued a Manhunt Monday alert for a felony theft warrant and a fugitive alert carrying an enhanced reward for a child-related felony charge.
No details about the identities, alleged offenses, or specific case number tied to Sunday's video have been released beyond the appeal itself. Anyone who recognizes the individuals or has information about their whereabouts is asked to submit a tip through one of Crime Stoppers' anonymous channels rather than contacting police directly, since reward eligibility depends on tips going straight to the nonprofit.
