Tennessee police officer helped steal Crime Stoppers rewards

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — New details have emerged about a now-former Memphis Police officer serving time in federal prison for stealing thousands of dollars in Crime Stoppers reward money.

While MPD has not commented, they did fulfill WREG Investigators’ open records request Friday and provided Arica Hutchison’s photo and employment records.

Since 2018, Hutchison was one of two Memphis police officers assigned to help field Crime Stoppers tips and send them to investigators.

David Wayne Brown, the executive director of Crime Stoppers, said she worked in the Real Time Crime Center. He knew Hutchison, and she had been to several of the group’s meetings.

“She was a trusted individual, and I always thought she was a nice person. I understand she got into some financial difficulties and perhaps that’s what pushed her,” Brown said.

WREG Investigators uncovered internal police records stating in late 2023 through early 2024, Hutchison “carefully devised, participated, and executed a plan to fraudulently obtain money from the Crime Stoppers rewards program.”

Basically, each tipster is assigned a number when they provide information, because the system is all anonymous. If a detective says that tip helped solve the felony crime, Crime Stoppers volunteers determine the reward amount. The tipster then calls in and gives their number to see if they got a reward.

“She was in a position to understand exactly how everything works and to know if a tip number had been awarded, but no one had called in on it,” Brown said.

MPD Internal affairs sated Hutchison took unclaimed tips, provided the info to a female acquaintance so she could pick up rewards, and the two would split it.

“It’s not very smart, because sooner or later, somebody was going to call in and claim that number. It would show up one way or another,” Brown said. “There are other people all around watching everything all the time.”

The friend reportedly collected the rewards monthly and often collected multiple rewards at a time. Her grey Ford Explorer identified multiple times on Crime Stoppers’ payout sheets.

At least one time, Hutchison logged into the database and changed an investigator’s information to show a tip led to an arrest to collect a reward

Brown says, in all, they collected 18 to 19 rewards worth around $20,000.

Internal Affairs stated Hutchison refused to cooperate with its internal investigation and stated in her file, “The probability of public outrage will have a profound effect once your crimes are exposed in the media” and will “further promote distrust” in MPD.

She resigned in April, before she could be disciplined, stating “I have enjoyed my affiliation” and added she “will always cherish the friendships.”

In June, She was federally charged and pleaded guilty that same day to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from a program receiving federal funds.

Earlier this month, she was sentenced to six months plus two years supervised release. She will be forced to pay $20,000 in restitution. Her sentence comes with other requirements like a mental health assessment, financial literacy classes and drug and alcohol abuse treatment.

Brown said Crime Stoppers is fine.

“I call it a tragedy for her and her family. A donor has made sure we are whole. The good news is we caught it quickly,” he said. “I’m proud of MPD who helped uncover this. It’s terrible when someone who’s trusted does a wrong thing.”

He said internal safeguards are in place like an audit system. Those internal safeguards raised red flags and within months, the FBI launched and conducted an investigation.

He says Crime Stoppers has added another safeguard to ensure and maintain the public’s trust.

“Something like this has never happened before in 44 years of Crime Stoppers. I think it’s an anomaly,” Brown said.

MPD alerted the state’s policing board of Hutchison’s resignation, but at last check, they have not requested decertification.

Hutchison had been with MPD for 17 years and was featured on a national show called “ Policewomen of Memphis. ” Her name was Arica Logan at the time.

According to her personnel file, she got in trouble for allowing a suspect to escape in 2015, for misplacing her service weapon in a recycling bin in 2020 and for skipping a Crime Stoppers conference last year.

Internal affairs stated last year, “certain personal matters were clearly impacting her performance beyond the workplace” and added she is “soon to face more personal hardship in the coming weeks and months.” The details were redacted.

MPD has not responded to our emails.

Federal documents state the accomplice named “KB” has been charged separately. WREG Investigators are working to find out who she is.

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