Miami Valley Crime Stoppers

Welcome

Annual Awards Luncheon Jan. 15, 2026

MVCS PRESIDENT: CEDRIC HOWARD

MASTER OF CEREMONIES: JACK POHL of WDTN

CATEGORY: DISPATCHER OF THE YEAR
The nominee should demonstrate exceptional professionalism, composure, and dedication, going above and beyond to support first responders and ensure public safety through outstanding communication and teamwork.

CATEGORY: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE OF THE YEAR
The nominee should have performed an outstanding job and gone over and above the call of duty.

CATEGORY: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE OF THE YEAR honorable mention
The nominee should have performed an outstanding job and gone over and above the call of duty.

CATEGORY: STUDENTS OF THE YEAR

The student nominee should have contributed to their community in a way that is deserving of recognition.

CATEGORY: UNIT OF THE YEAR

The police unit should have performed an outstanding job and gone over and above the call of duty.

CATEGORY: K-9 OFFICER OF THE YEAR
The nominee should have performed an outstanding job and gone over and above the call of duty.

MIAMI VALLEY CRIME STOPPERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

2025 Stats:

2,506 total tips that could be investigated

115 of those were eligible and approved by the board for reward

$94,250 possible pay out

The most reported crime was “drugs” 579

Followed by “Suspicious Circumstances” 449

“Homicide” was third with 266

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Information needed about disappearance of Erica Baker

It has been more than 26 years since the disappearance of Erica Baker. Nine year old Erica left her home on Feb. 7, 1999 to walk her dog near the Kettering Rec Center, but she never came home. Eventually a suspect, Christian Gabriel, was identified and arrested, but he only served 6 years for gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Gabriel has refused to cooperate with the investigation and tell Kettering Police where Erica is. Detectives have spent the past 26 years conducting hundreds of searches, interviewing dozens of people, and collecting over 100 pieces of evidence. Detectives believe Gabriel knows where Erica is, but that he knows her discovery would lead to evidence linking him to her murder, adding more charges against him. Even 26 years later, detectives are still tirelessly working leads and conducting searches. This has been an emotional investment for everyone involved, and all that's wanted is to be able to bring something home to Erica's family. Detectives still know where Gabriel is and will not stop tracking him until justice is brought to this case. If you or someone you know, knows/knew Gabriel, knew his ex girlfriend Jan Franks, or potentially knows anything about what happened 26 years ago, please contact Detective Pedro at (937)296-2460. You can also remain anonymous and call Miami Valley Crime Stoppers at 937- 222-STOP or online at MiamiValleyCrimeStoppers.com and you could be eligible for a cash reward. #CrimeStoppers #Anonymous #catchthebadguys

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Miami Valley Crime Stoppers President Cedric Howard presented awards at the 17th annual MVCS awards luncheon on Jan. 15, including Officer of the Year to Officer Tyrone Derrick of the Trotwood Police Department and Officer Michael Conrads and K9 Maverick from the Dayton Police Department for K9 of the Year. These and other awards honored the outstanding contributions to protect and serve by law enforcement. The ceremony was emceed by 2 NEWS’s Jack Pohl at the Christian Life Center in Butler Township.

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How can you help? Follow these simple principles:

SEE - CARE - SHARE

SEE - Have you seen something suspicious or just plain illegal? Have you seen some drug activity, or heard someone talking about a crime that was committed or is going to take place, or is someone suspiciously walking around the neighborhood looking into houses?

CARE - Would you like to take control over the changes in the neighborhood and provide a voice about what is going to going in your community? Are there activities in your neighborhood that is negatively impacting your area? Are you tired of seeing criminal activity taking place? Are you willing to care enough to speak up and make difference?

SHARE - Share the information you have. You can call your local law enforcement non-emergency line. Contact your local elected leaders. If you want to REMAIN ANONYMOUS you can always call CRIME STOPPERS.

Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment of a felony offender.

Thank you for your interest in Miami Valley Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers programs are operated as not for profit charities and are managed by a volunteer board of directors who take responsibility for fundraising and paying rewards to individ

uals who anonymously call with information that helps solve crime.

Crime Stoppers relies on volunteer Directors and tax deductible contributions from the public in order to operate the administration of the program.