Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich was joined by Sheriff Lee Baca and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to launch "Crimestoppers."

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich joined Sheriff Lee Baca, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and police chiefs from more than 20 cities to launch a new public-private partnership that will offer rewards to anonymous tipsters who provide information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of criminals.

Anyone with information on an unsolved crime is encouraged to contact Crimestoppers by:

- Calling 800-222-TIPS (8477)

- Texting the letters TIPLA plus the tip to 274637 or CRIMES

- Visiting the Web site online at lacrimestoppers.org.

The Crimestoppers program was started in 1976 by a young detective in Albuquerque, N.M., who was frustrated by the number of unsolved cases in his jurisdiction. The detective reached out to the community, media and law enforcement agencies for help.

This new partnership helped the young detective solve a murder he was investigating within 72 hours.

Since its inception, this program has led to:

- More than 500,000 arrests

- One million crimes solved

- $4 billion in drugs and drug money seized

There are now more than 300 Crimestopper programs worldwide.