We would love to thank the tipster who helped police nab two suspects in the brutal, senseless rape of a Drummond Street woman, but we cannot. That is the beauty of the Crimestoppers program — anonymity.

The anonymous tipster in the Drummond Street case is on track to receive a $5,200 reward — a well-deserved reward indeed, especially if the two arrested are found to have committed the heinous crimes of rape and burglary.

The fate of the two suspects is now in the hands of America’s justice system. We will let it play out in court when the facts will become known. The fact is, though, that someone needed the courage to come forward with information that led to the arrest of Eddie Lee Harris, who is charged with rape and burglary of a 55-year-old Vicksburg woman, and his cousin, accused of burglary of the home.

The program, in its 35th year, uses code numbers and cooperating banks. A person with information can call the center. The operator will never ask for the caller’s name so nobody knows whom he or she is. Tips are received at a central call station in Texas, then forwarded to a regional Crimestoppers center. The information is then distributed to a local law enforcement agency.

Many times, providing information in criminal cases proves most difficult. Apprehension from witnesses to fears of retribution likely keep witnesses or those with information quiet. The anonymity of the Crimestoppers program takes that apprehension away.

Many law enforcement hours were put into making an arrest in this case. Police went door-to-door, took DNA samples and conducted myriad interviews. But it was Crimestoppers and one anonymous tipster who provided the last, best piece of information.

Thank you, whomever you are.