NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans is hoping to offer more assistance to local law enforcement in combating violent crime.

The announcement comes ahead of summer, which, according to officials, is a high time for crime.

During a press conference Monday morning, Crimestoppers GNO President and CEO Darlene Cusanza first unveiled their new crime scene barriers.

The barriers, which are made of a cloth-like material, will be used in place of crime scene tape during homicides.

“We hope that providing an extra set of crime scene barriers for all of our partners, this will help lessen the time when something like this can be placed to cover the deceased,” explained Cusanza.

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams believes the new crime scenes barriers are necessary. He says violent crime is surging because people are becoming numb to the violence.

“The impact of seeing a dead body in your neighborhood where you play has a major impact on a young person and has a major impact on an adult,” said Williams.

Crimestoppers also announced a new reward system, which will allow tipsters to be rewarded up to $5,500 if they help investigators recover a gun linked to a crime. The more crimes to which the gun links, the more money the witness is rewarded.

“Our ability to collect those weapons is inhibited by, obviously, the perpetrator, who still has it in their possession. Us being able to link that together and being able to link it with the ATF Correlation Center gives us a big edge up,” said Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto. “That’s what we need to be able to do our job.”

The new crime scene barriers also showcase an HR code that allows witnesses to report anonymously.

Law enforcement leaders say cooperating witnesses is crucial in fighting crime.

“We cannot do it alone,” said NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson. “The law enforcement partners you see before you, our criminal justice system partners you see before you, our council, we are all urging you, the community, if you see something, say something.”