Conference Details - 37th Annual Texas Crime Stoppers Conference

EARLY CHECK-IN

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Location: Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo, TX 79101

FIRST DAY OF CONFERENCE - OPENING CEREMONIES

Date: Monday, October 12, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo, TX 79101

SECOND DAY OF CONFERENCE - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo, TX 79101

TEXAS' CRIME STOPPERS AWARDS LUNCHEON AND TRAINING: 11:30AM - 1:30PM

THIRD DAY OF CONFERENCE - CLOSING CEREMONIES

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo, TX 79101

Early Bird Registration

May 4, 2026 - July 17, 2026 - $250/person

Standard Registration

July 18, 2026 - September 28, 2026 - $295/person

Guest Tickets

$150/person - a guest is an additional fun night/awards luncheon guest. Must be accompanied by a conference attendee.

Exhibitor Fee $300/booth

This fee includes one (1) table, two (2) chairs, admission to conference sessions, events, meals for two (2) people. Additional booth operators will register as a conference attendee at the registration rate at that time.

NOTE: Guest registration and group registration are different. A guest is an additional person, such as a spouse or other "non-member", who wishes to attend evening events (fun night and banquet) with a conference attendee. A group member is any affiliated Crime Stoppers organization member who will attend the conference for training. Groups can be registered at one time through the registration site.

Nominations Now Open for the 2026 Texas' Best Awards

We are now accepting nominations for the annual Texas' Best Awards, which will be presented on October 13, 2026, during the Texas Crime Stoppers Conference in Amarillo, Texas.

Certified Texas Crime Stoppers organizations in good standing are invited to take part in this year’s competition, which honors outstanding achievements, dedication, and impact in solving and preventing crime across the state. Eligible efforts must have taken place between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025.

Important Notes:

All nominations must be submitted using the official entry form and must include all required attachments.
Productivity awards will not be considered. Award determinations are based on verified statistical reporting data.
Use a separate entry form for each nomination, and label all supporting documents with your program name and competition category.

Deadline: All entries must be received by close of business on Friday, August 28, 2026. No exceptions.

INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Recipients of the awards for Coordinator of the Year and Board Member of the Year are ineligible for five years following their selection. Nominations for these categories must include entry form, a one page criteria profile that details the nominee’s service to Crime Stoppers, an endorsement letter from the board chair, and a digital color photograph of the nominee. Limit one entry per category per program.

RICHARD CARTER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of Crime Stoppers in Texas, encompassing, but not limited to, teaching, receipt of awards, innovative problem-solving approaches, enduring positive impacts, and the individual's positive influence and inspiration within the local and statewide contexts. Eligible nominees should have over 20 years of distinguished service directly associated with a certified Crime Stoppers program(s) in Texas, particularly in leadership roles such as board membership or committee chair positions. Additionally, consideration will be given to the nominee's involvement in committees and workgroups, as well as instances where they have officially represented Crime Stoppers in Texas as a liaison to other organizations or at the state level.

COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR: The Coordinator of the Year award honors one individual for exceptional performance and contributions to their Crime Stoppers organization, makes a positive impact in their community, other Crime Stoppers organizations, and Crime Stoppers in Texas.

BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR: The Board Member of the Year award honors one individual, who has demonstrated outstanding service through enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to their Crime Stoppers organization and has positively impacted their community.

PUBLICITY AWARD CATEGORIES: All publicity award nominations must include a completed entry form, 100-word summary describing the entry, a digital copy of the entry (.mp4, .mpg, .mpeg, .mwv, .pdf), and date or dates January 2025 through December 2025 that airing occurred. Limit one entry per category per program.

BEST WEBSITE: The Best Website award recognizes the best Crime Stoppers program website. This award is judged on a clear purpose for the website, original content, concise, accurate, well written, and up-to-date. Graphics are clear, sharp and relevant to content; design (combining content and graphics) is well organized, and logical; navigation is easy, and user friendly; and content is grammatically correct, free of errors. Nominations must include entry form with attached brief cover letter which includes the website URL and a description of the website.

CREATIVE PUBLICITY: The Community Publicity award recognizes the most creative or original way of publicizing Crime Stoppers through means other than television, radio, and newspaper. This award is judged on creativity, delivery, and impact on the community. Nominations must include entry form, brief cover letter which describes the event or item(s), how the event or item(s) were utilized to publicize the program, a digital photograph and/or sample.

SOCIAL MEDIA COMPETITION: The Social Media award is presented to a single program for the best use of social media to promote the Crime Stoppers program. Judging is based on use of the platform in a creative and informative manner and as an integral way to enhance community engagement. Nominations must include entry form with attached brief cover letter which includes the website URL, social media handle, implementation and level of success (how many views, likes, retweets, etc.).

MEDIA AWARD CATEGORIES: All media award nominations must include a completed entry form,100-word summary describing the entry, a digital copy of the entry (.mp4, .mpg, .mpeg, .mwv, .pdf), and date or dates January 2025 through December 2025 that airing occurred. Limit one entry per category per program.

RADIO COMPETITION – FEATURED CRIME OF THE WEEK: Recognizes the best radio Spot. Nominations are judged on production quality, content, and placement (times of airing).

RADIO COMPETITION – SPECIAL PRODUCTION/PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Recognizes the best Special Production/Public Service Announcement (PSA). Nominations are judged on creativity, production quality, frequency of airing, and placement (times of airing).

TELEVISION COMPETITION – FREATURED CRIME OF THE WEEK: Recognizes the best Television segment. Nominations are judged on production quality, content, and placement (times of airing).

TELEVISION COMPETITION – SPECIAL PRODUCTION/PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Recognizes the best Special Production/Public Service Announcement (PSA). Nominations are judged on creativity, production quality, frequency of airing, and placement (times of airing).

NEWSPRINT COMPETITION – FEATURED CRIME OF THE WEEK: Recognizes the best Crime of the Week newsprint article. Nominations are judged on display, frequency, content, and writing quality. Nominations must include a digital copy of the entry that includes dateline clipping and the name of the publication. The newsprint article may be published online.

NEWSPRINT COMPETITION – GENERAL NEWSPRINT: Recognizes the best overall Crime Stoppers program related news article. Nominations are judged on quality, conciseness, and originality. Nominations must include a digital copy of the entry that includes dateline clipping and the name of the publication. The newsprint article may be published online.

DEADLINE: Friday, August 28, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CST.

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