WELCOME
to the
Missouri State Water Patrol Online Tips

The Mission of the Missouri State Water Patrol

Members of the Missouri State Water Patrol will preserve the peace, protect life and property, and enforce in a fair and impartial manner the watercraft and all other laws of the state of Missouri, where authority is set out by law.

1. Members shall serve the public by direction, counsel, and in other ways that do not interfere with the discharge of their responsibilities. They shall respect and protect the rights of individuals and perform their services with courtesy, honesty, enthusiasm, courage, discretion, and sound judgment.
2. In accomplishing their mission, members will recognize that:
   1. The power to fulfill their functions and duties is dependent upon public approval of their existence, action, and behavior, as well as their ability to secure and maintain public respect.
   2. Securing and maintaining the respect and approval of the public requires the member to obtain the willing cooperation of the public in the task of guaranteeing observance of laws.

In order to better fulfill our mission and serve the citizens, the boating public and the many visitors to the great state of Missouri, the Missouri State Water Patrol is proud to provide an online tips link.

What is Tips?
It is a partnership of the community, media, and law enforcement designed to combat crime and keep the waterways of the state safe. Today there are about 1,200 programs like this in communities around the world that take tips to assist investigators in solving crimes including homicides, sexual assaults, drug trafficking operations and robberies. The programs have also received information which has prevented school shootings and criminal acts by terrorist organizations.

Why Do We Need Tips?
We need tips because they work. It is an extremely effective crime fighting concept that solves crime and keeps our waterways safer. Since 1976 tips submitted to law enforcement have been responsible for the arrests of about 600,000 individuals and led to the seizure of approximately $7 billion in stolen property and illicit drugs.

How Does it Work?
There is usually someone who has information that can help solve crime. In many investigations, however, police and other law enforcement agencies encounter individuals who will not directly provide information. The three key reasons are:

1. Fear of reprisal
2. An attitude of apathy
3. Reluctance to get involved

The Missouri State Water Patrol Online Tips breaks through these barriers by giving people the opportunity to provide information without directly speaking to police or having to testify in court. Obviously investigators need witnesses to help prove their case in court, but most importantly they need information that allows them to zero in on a suspect or a criminal operation, such as drug trafficking networks. Tips may not give us the evidence we require to arrest an individual but puts us on the right track to solve crime.

Thank you for visiting our Online Tips page. Please continue if you have a crime or suspicious activity to report.

If this is an emergency or time sensitive information, please call the
Missouri State Water Patrol at 573-751-3333 or 911.