Stop Snitchin'

Stop Snitchin’ refers to a criminal's attempt to persuade informants not to cooperate with law enforcement. Public officials, activists, and media outlets say that it is a campaign used by criminals to frighten people with information from reporting their activities to the police, who they believe is an enemy.

Origin

The origin of the term stop snitching is unknown.

T-shirts bearing the phrase "Stop Snitching" first appeared on the streets of Philadelphia in 2002.

National prominence

The Stop Snitchin’ campaign first gained national attention in late 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland, when a DVD released by Rodney Bethea titled "Stop Snitching!" began to circulate. However, the slogan "Stop Snitchin’" and many other variations have existed in the United States long before the campaign became popular.

In some footage, a number of men claiming to be drug dealers address the camera, and threaten violence against anyone who reports what they know about their crimes to the authorities. This threat is directed especially towards those who inform on others to get a lighter sentence for their own crimes. NBA star Carmelo Anthony briefly appeared in the video. In subsequent interviews, Anthony claimed that his appearance in the video was a joke, the product of his neighborhood friends making a home movie. Anthony claims that the film's message should not be taken seriously.