THE local chairman of Crime Stoppers has issued a fresh appeal in the wake of the St. David's double murder, urging Bermudians to come forward with information they may have on a crime without fear of retribution.

Her comments come as the Bermuda Police Service issued a new witness appeal, asking that anyone who may have spoken to victims Maxwell Brangman and Frederick Gilbert before their untimely deaths come forward.

While she was unable to comment on the St. David's murders due to the ongoing investigation, Crime Stoppers chairman Joanne MacPhee said that the local hotline had "proven very useful during times of recent criminal activity in Bermuda".

Ms MacPhee added that calls to the local Crime Stoppers hotline have resulted in the solving of other major crimes, including the notorious murder of Canadian tourist Rebecca Middleton. "With the Rebecca Middleton case, sadly there was no conviction, but significant information was fed through the Crime Stoppers helpline," Ms MacPhee said.

"When there are crimes like that – that is, murder – the hotline is used considerably more."

She added, however, that the confidential, anonymous phone line can be used for reporting any crime, no matter how seemingly minor.

"It is not only there for murder and heinous crimes," she said. "It is there for periods of civil rest, not just civil unrest. It is for people who have information who are scared of going to the police. We've had tips on illegal dog fighting, break ins, or when a known burglar is in the area. It is for tips and information. We have had a great deal of success from calls about drug trafficking and firearms usage. Some of the most significant wins have been around seizure of drugs out there."

Ms MacPhee explained the tendency for Bermudians, as with residents of any small town or city, to withhold information from police for fear of being exposed as a "snitch".

"There is definitely a concern in small communities – a fear of retribution or a fear of their identity being compromised if they provide information on a crime. The Crime Stoppers programme, which is part of an international network, exists for one reason: it works. There have been test cases throughout Europe and the US."

She added that not even a court warrant could compel Crime Stoppers to divulge the identities of any callers – not that the volunteers staffing the service have any way of finding out this information themselves.

"Telephones can never be tapped, and information is not recorded or stored," she explained. "As soon as a call is processed, it is assigned a code, but there is no physical record."

Even when rewards are involved, Crime Stoppers goes to great lengths to preserve a caller's anonymity. Rewards of up to $2,000 ("unless the family member offers more") are offered for information leading to a successful conclusion in a case, and can be paid without confidentiality being compromised.

"I get asked a lot whether rewards can be paid," Ms MacPhee explained.

"We reinforce confidentiality. Try it and trust us. Rewards are my favourite part. We assign a code to every tip. If you are interested in a reward, you get a case number. At your convenience, you call back in and quote that number. The onus is on the caller. At your convenience, cash is dropped off – it can be anywhere, like in an empty Coke can behind a hibiscus tree. We never go back to check."

Ms MacPhee added that locals calling the Crime Stoppers hotline need not fear being asked to act as a witness in an ensuing trial. "You will not be asked to appear in court and stand in front of the accused," she said. "It is fool-proof – there are no holes in the system."

Crime Stoppers Bermuda is a totally volunteer community service that allows anyone with details on criminal activity to report information anonymously by calling their confidential 24/7 hotline: 1-800-623-TIPS (8477).