Many people hit hard by the economic recession are reporting crimes to the police for reward money to supplement income.

'Crime Stopper' hotlines all over the country have been ringing off the hook with people trying to get money to pay for increased gas prices, food prices, and rent after having a home foreclosed.

But how much can you really earn from turning in your friends or neighbors?

According to an article in yesterday's New York Times:

... programs in most places pay $50 to $1,000, with some jurisdictions giving bonuses for help solving the most serious crimes, or an extra “gun bounty” if a weapon is recovered. In Sussex County, NJ the average payment for a tip that results in an arrest is $400, Sergeant Beller said.

“Usually you deliver the money in an unmarked car and meet them somewhere,” he said. “But these people come right to the office and walk right through the front door.”

Wow, these people are ballsy. I would be worried someone's 'boyz' would get pissed and come after me if they saw me counting $100 bills just after their ringleader got clinked. But I suppose these people have more important things to with their time than lay low and mess around with discreet packages from unmarked cars.

The article also goes on to point out that no matter how much the Crime Stoppers spokespeople illustrate a tipsters' sense of righteousness or moral virtue, the Crime Stoppers slogans and logos are all about hyping up the money aspect of the transaction:

“Crime doesn’t pay but we do,” say the mobile billboards cruising Jacksonville, Fla. A poster in Jackson, Tenn., draws a neat equation: “Ring Ring + Bling Bling = Cha-Ching.” The bling, in this case, is a pair of handcuffs.

Probably not the same 'bling', Lil Wayne and the rest of the Cash Money Millionaires sang poetically about during the dawn of the term in the late 90s.

However, the rise in people ratting out their grandchildren, ex-boyfriends, and neighbors has spawned a new industry and given a few 'entrepreneurs' a new career (via the NYT article):

“We have people out there that, realistically, this could be their job,” said Sgt. Zachary Self, who answers Crime Stoppers calls for the Macon, GA Police Department.

“Two or three arrests per week, you could make $700, $750 per week,” Sergeant Self said. “You could make better than a minimum-wage job.”

Could this soon replace Wal-Mart as the hottest minimum wage job in town? I can see it now, a couple of enterprising senior citizens sitting on the porch, binoculars handy, and the Crime Stoppers number on speed dial.

One could argue that the likelihood of citizens not being able to make ends meet due to the recession has forced more people to commit crimes such as burglary, robbery, and drugs. And therefore, in a natural correlation, the Crime Stoppers call volume has increased as well.

But I don't buy that theory, it seems a lot more likely that snitchin' on the thugs and punks down the street has become a much more accessible option with text messaging as a means of reporting crimes.

Does anyone think it's possible criminals are being turned in by their family/spouses, and then bailed out with a portion of the reward money? If you keep a 20% profit out of the whole deal, is it worth the trouble?

New York Times: As Prices Rise, Crime Tipsters Work Overtime, May 18, 2008

In these hard-fought recession days, every penny counts and there is no shortage of money-saving tips and lessons. Unfortunately, many of them are terrible. But have no fear, we've scoured the internet and dissected some of the absolute worst.

1. Stop Buying Alcohol- Well, how do they suggest we get it then? Steal it from somewhere? Now that's just advocating theft. If meeting up with a few friends for drinks after work is the only thing that gets me through the workday, then maybe I have a drinking problem. But if I don't, then it's totally fine. Some better ideas that will keep your sanity are to have updated lists of all the local Happy Hour specials. That way you're not the chump buying $7 Bud Lights on $2-Miller-Night.

2. Attend Free Events You Find In Your Local Newspaper- First off, a newspaper? What are we, stockbrokers from the 1930s? Get digital, baby. Second thing, those free events in the park are always a horrible idea. Most of the time they're nothing more than crappy local theater groups and pukey kid choirs. But if 'park cleanup event' or 'charity fundraisers' are on there, stop and think. Are you trying to save money or are you looking for a second job with a guilt trip?

3. Don't Pay For The Internet At Home, It's Free At The Library- The people who suggest this one are either psychopaths or shut-ins. Don't they know the only people using the computer at the library are perverted homeless men looking for some 'motivation' before 'using the facilities'? I wouldn't let my kid use the library's computer if his life depended on it.

4. Go For A Walk- I almost don't want to dignify this one with a response, but many people are proponents of going out for some fresh air rather than letting some expensive indoor hobby or gadget occupy their time. So to those people I ask, what's the point of going for a walk? You'll just end up back at your house later, and a bunch of people will probably see you on the sidewalk while they drive by and wonder if maybe you went insane or had your car stolen. If I'm going outside for a stroll it's going to be while wearing a pair of expensive anti-gravity boots.

5. Sign Up For Every Customer Rewards Card- Here's where those bright young cashiers try to pawn off theirs scams on you at the checkout. These cards can save you a couple of bucks at the register, but signing up for each one will guarantee you an inbox full of spam. And who knows where Best Buy will sell your personal information for the right price. Is sorting through every 'Barnes and Noble' Weekly Newsletter worth saving the $2 next time you buy something?

6. Buy Cheap Generic Medications- So instead of getting Tylenol, you'd rather just buy Tyleñol, which is made on a Mexican dirt farm with whatever similar ingredients they cooked up out back? The best way to get healthy is to go with a name-brand you trust. If you start dabbling with Ukrainian herpes medication, you only have your cheap self to blame for that third testicle.

7. Plan Your Meals Around Your Grocery Store's Flyer- You should only go this route if you have an acquired taste for week-old-sushi and out-of-season fruit. I'm also sure the grocery store 'coincidentally' planned that 50% discount on ground beef for a few days after the E. coli outbreak hit the headlines.

There are plenty of other ways to save money. Stop driving an SUV around the neighborhood and buying Starbucks coffee each morning strike me as good starts. But trust me, you can do way better than some of these other ones.

Heard any other horrible money-saving tips recently? Let us know in the comments section.