County sheriffs across the state are asking for tips on cold cases from an unlikely source and using an unlikely tool to do it. Law enforcement in Florida were the first to show a deck of playing cards could go a long way in jail to jarring memories or consciences, as the case may be. Cards emblazoned with information about a missing person or an unsolved homicide. After two years and 19 solved cases in the Sunshine State, New York Sheriffs and a couple whose daughter's been missing ten years brought the idea to New York. Sheriff Dave Gould is the first to distribute the cards in his jail. Gould says not every inmate is a bad person. He says many want to help and when tips produce results, there's a reward.
"It doesn't cost anything except for the deck of cards and certainly some phone company bills and and it's probably the cheapest way you're going to find out information," said Sheriff Gould. "All these inmates know something about something. They might not know about these 52 cases, and it isn't just these cases," he said. "It says on the cards, if they know something about any case that's not involved with these cards, certainly call too."
And, as cases are solved, those cards will be removed and new ones added. Every sheriff's department in central New York will receive the cards.