Border Patrol joins forces with 88-Crime

The U.S. Border Patrol added the eyes of Tucson's 88-Crime program Thursday to detect illegal entrants, thwart smuggling and to look for illegal aliens being held against their will.

The 88-Crime program receives phoned-in tips of crimes to help stop them or to solve them. "Callers to 88-Crime will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward," said a Homeland Security press release. Anyone in the Tucson telephone area code including Green Valley can reach 88-Crime.

The press release said, "The benefits of a reduction in alien- smuggling and other border-related crime include fewer dangerously overloaded vehicles on our highways, less impact on our environmentally sensitive borderlands and an improved quality of life for border residents and those living along smuggling routes."

The press release said 88-Crime will forward to the Border Patrol any information it receives "related to the following criminal activities:

Any and all activity related to smuggling organizations and/ or illegal aliens,

Stash houses/safe houses, places where aliens are held pending transportation,