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Fueling the Thin Blue Line

New program gives money to Crime Stoppers through gas purchases

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Webster County Sheriff Jim Stubbs holds up a sample Star Energy "Help Fuel the Thin Blue Line," card and the brochure explaining their use. Proceeds in Webster County go the Webster County Crime Stoppers.

A new fundraiser aims to help raise money for law enforcement with the help of a credit card and gas purchases.

Star Energy FS, which owns Fast Stop and Fast Stop Express locations across Iowa, recently began its Fueling the Thin Blue Line program.

Customers who sign up for a Thin Blue Line Card through Star Energy FS and use it to purchase gas or diesel at a Fast Stop location in Webster County will see 3 cents off their purchase go to Webster County Crime Stoppers.

Jason Stauffer, manager of retail fuels and a marketing and business specialist for Star Energy FS, said this will benefit both the public and law enforcement.

“It allows not only the public, but other business to support law enforcement, and that’s where it worked really good to tie it in to Crime Stoppers,” he said. “The money could be funneled through Crime Stoppers and that would impact the community and have an impact on all of law enforcement.”

The Thin Blue Line program began on June 1.

Stauffer said, while the program is still in its infancy, it’s gone well so far.

“It’s been pretty good,” he said. “We’re just in the initial stages of kicking it off. It takes time. It’s all about educating people and getting the word out.”

He added that both businesses and individuals can sign up for the card, and it can be used at any Fast Stop location.

“It doesn’t matter who it is,” he said. “And they can be Fort Dodge, they can be Knierim, they can be Spirit Lake, Spencer, it doesn’t matter.”

And regardless of how much money is spent on gas, if the Thin Blue Line Card is used, 3 cents per gallon from that purchase will go to Crime Stoppers.

“If they put 20 gallons of gas in a car or 200 gallons of diesel in their truck, 3 cents on every gallon of that fuel goes back to Crime Stoppers,” Stauffer said.

That money is paid out to Crime Stoppers twice a year: once on Jan. 1 and once on July 1.

Webster County Sheriff Jim Stubbs said this program will help Crime Stoppers in a variety of ways.

“Crime Stoppers puts a lot of money back into law enforcement and their major focus is the apprehension of criminals,” he said. “So the better job that law enforcement does with the help of Crime Stoppers in apprehending those individuals that are accused of crimes, the better the quality of life in Webster County is.”

Stauffer said, by working with Crime Stoppers, every law enforcement agency in Webster County will benefit from it.

“Crime Stoppers impacts every single square inch of this county,” he said. “It truly impacts the whole county.”

Stubbs added that the money that goes to Crime Stoppers isn’t anything extra for the people who sign up.

“They’re going to use fuel no matter what,” Stubbs said. “It’s no expense to them other than the cost of the fuel.”

And the 3 cents will add up quickly. As an example, Stubbs said the Sheriff’s Department goes through about 20,500 gallons of fuel every year.

Those interested in signing up for the Thin Blue Line Card can pick up an application at the Webster County Law Enforcement Center. Stubbs also said anyone who already has a Star Card can contact them to receive a Thin Blue Line Card.

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