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It was one of those stories that rapidly hit the print, digital and TV news media: a hidden backpack containing automatic guns and ammo was found outside Raleigh-Egypt High School and a student was arrested.
What wasn’t known when the stories were reported is this important fact: the discovery and arrest were the result of the CrimeStoppers initiative in schools, Trust Pays.
A woman working for a cleaning company under contract to the Memphis Shelby County Schools saw a student dump the backpack the morning of May 13, 2024, got suspicious and reported it to school officials. Trust Pays was designed for students, who can tell a trusted adult at school of anything bad happening. In this case it was an alert adult.
Doesn’t matter, agreed the CrimeStoppers citizen awards committee. The individual deserves an award - in this case, a $300 cash award.
The student who placed the backpack behind a bush told security officials he was placing it there for an older student who planned to stage an armed robbery of students during a fake drug sale. The 17-year-old was arrested and taken to Juvenile Court.
Three loaded guns were in the backpack, including one with a magazine filled with .357 caliber bullets. One gun had been reported stolen in Ripley, Tennessee.
Trust Pays has led to the discovery and confiscation of 11 guns during the 2023-24 school year at area schools.
For more information on the Trust Pays program, and to see data of weapons, drugs, thefts and other crimes uncovered over a decade and a half visit www.trustpays.org.
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