Bryan Announces $1 Million Fund Rewarding $50,000 for Tips Leading to Homicide-Related Arrests, $25,000 for Armed Robberies

Governor Albert Bryan on Monday announced a $1 million crime-fighting initiative aimed at encouraging the community to provide tips leading to the arrest of major criminals by offering monetary rewards ranging from $25,000 to $50,000.

Speaking during the administration's Covid-19 response update, Mr. Bryan referred to crime as the other pandemic and criminals perpetrating them as terrorists.

The governor said the initiative is one of a number of strategies to be announced in the coming months aimed at motivating residents "to do the right thing and testify against these people who are terrorists in our community. We are counting on you to make sure that we can get this done," he said.

The governor stressed the importance of subduing the criminal element. "We have to get a grip on these small groups of terrorists in our community," he said.

"Over the next couple of months you will be hearing initiatives from not only me but your commissioner of police, your chief of police to fight this crime epidemic that we're facing. We will stamp it out and we will be successful," the governor said.

Mr. Bryan said funding for the initiative was added as an appendage in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget. "We also have some other reserves that we can use in order to fund it if more is needed," the governor said, pointing to funding through the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan — both Covid-19 stimulus measures signed into law by former President Donald Trump and current President Joseph Biden, respectively.

"The money isn't the issue, we have the money to pay for it," Mr. Bryan said.

The Consortium has been reporting on the wave of gun violence and armed robberies that have been plaguing the territory.