The University Area Crimestoppers is offering a cash reward of $500 to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of those responsible for a string of robberies along High Street.

During the month of November, a dozen robberies occurred between 5th and 11th avenues.

The University Area Crimestoppers said people, but no businesses, were robbed in the area on High Street. Some of the incidents were strong-arm robberies, and other incidents involved a weapon.

Larry Geis, community liaison officer of the fourth precinct in the University District, said the number of robberies on High Street between 5th and 11th avenues went down for the month of December. He said police, however, are still looking for information to help arrest those responsible for the November robberies.

Geis said during November, there were also robberies on Summit Avenue at 12th and 13th avenues, and a person was apprehended for those robberies.

“Toward the end of the year, around the holiday season, people carry more cash and credit cards on them. Criminals take advantage of the situation,” Geis said.

The University Area Crimestoppers is modeled after the Central Ohio Crimestoppers and is the first of its kind in the Big Ten. The university division deals with crimes not serious enough to get the attention of the Central Ohio division, but that still affect the quality of life.

“Central Ohio Crimestoppers asks for information regarding felonies such as robberies, rapes and murders,” said Tom Randle, coordinator of the Central Ohio Crimestoppers.

Randle had a hand in helping to create the university division to do the same.

“The purpose of the organization is to pinpoint problems around the community and highlight misdemeanor crimes,” Randle said.

Luke Whitworth, president of Evans Scholars, is credited with founding the University Area Crimestoppers. After the 1994 murder of Stephanie Hummer, an Evans Scholar, it was obvious that safety had become an issue.

“The program is in its infant stages now, but is a proactive approach to improving the community,” Whitworth said.

Randle agreed that the safety of the community could stand to be improved.

“Our goal is to educate the younger people of the University District, so they take safety precautions,” he said. “The big selling feature is the reward.”

The information provided by an anonymous tip does not act as the arresting tool. But it may point police in the right direction, which in turn helps to develop a suspect and lead to an arrest.

“The information retrieved from an anonymous tip holds up in court, but never requires the tipster to testify,” Randle said. “The arrests are made [based] on hard evidence. People calling in tips can rest assured their identity will never be known.”

Anyone wishing to volunteer information may do so by calling 247-TIPS. The hotline allows informants to remain anonymous by giving them an identification number. They can then use their number, and not their name, when calling back to check on whether their information has led to an arrest and qualifies them for the reward.

Cash rewards are given at Columbus police headquarters downtown, but the informant’s identity is never known to any of the investigating officers.