Do you feel safe reporting a crime?

We've all seen the Crime Stopper commercials, where people debate calling in a crime or suspicious activity. They think about it briefly then decide to alert the authorities. Sometimes, the caller is even eligible for a reward for their information and they are guaranteed complete anonymity for their service. What many people wonder, is who exactly is "Crime Stoppers" and how are they different from the police? Could their guaranteed anonymity have any holes in it that would leave me vulnerable to an attack? And most importantly, why would I call them when I could mind my own business and stay safe?
Crime Stoppers is a non-profit 501c3 organization that is actually funded by the government whatsoever. Crime Stoppers encourages local concerned citizens to call in with information about a crime or the whereabouts of a criminal. The organization promises not only to keep your information private, but they use no form of caller ID to identify the caller. While the organization's main goal is to catch criminals and make their neighborhoods a better place, there have been mixed feelings on calling in.
Among a selection of four survey-takers, two said they would not call the hotline because they don't want to be involved in any kind of criminal case. One person said they would use the hotline and the fourth said they'd consider it. Is it worth it? Many people are worried for their own safety, so they would hesitate to even call the police unless the emergency is their own. If you're worried about your identity leaking to the wrong person, you have a couple options for calling in or reporting a crime.
Phone booth A good old-fashioned phone booth is a good way to remain anonymous, but can make you look a bit suspicious.
Caller ID Spoofing Using a fake caller ID service allows you to replace your own caller ID information with another phone number and information. You can replace your ID with "anonymous" and a generic number.
New e-mail address Creating a new untraceable e-mail address is a good way to contact the authorities. Unfortunately, some police departments may not be as technologically advanced and offer a contact by e-mail, so it may present an issue.
Letter to the Authorities One of the best ways to stay anonymous with the authorities is to send an anonymous letter. This is the least traceable way to contact the police, and you can drop off a typed letter at any drop-off.