Couch potatoes can help catch criminals

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - CSI, Cold Case and Criminal Minds are just a few shows on CBS that viewers can see police solving crimes and catching criminals. Comcast cable customers can now add a new show to that list: Police Blotter on Demand. Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana has teamed up with Comcast to help real detectives solve crimes.

"This type of reality-based programming and law enforcement programming is very popular," said Mark Apple, Comcast Regional Vice President of Public Relations.

Police Blotter on Demand features real stories and crime cases in Central Indiana. People are able, from the comfort of their home, to call police with tips.

"If your information leads to a felony arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward to up to $1,000," said Tom Kern of Crime Stoppers.

Police Blotter is the first public service programming of its kind in Indiana. Police said it's a tool that will help assist them in their efforts to make the streets safer.

"There are a lot of different media outlets that are partnering with Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana, we're just another way to get the word out," Apple said.

Viewers wanting to check out Police Blotter can press the "On Demand" button or go to channel one on the remote control. From there they can access the On Demand menu and scroll down to find “Local” and select "Police Blotter".

The viewer can then choose from Indiana's most wanted or cold cases and view profiles of murder suspects and criminals wanted by police.

"This brings it down to a local level. It allows people to watch what's going on in their community and hopefully do something positive for their community," Apple said.

Comcast cable is producing the Crime Stoppers segments and will produce about 15 to 20 segments every quarter.