Many things have changed since the pandemic, and Crime Stoppers of Simcoe, Dufferin and Muskoka is one of them.
Recently, the organization’s board member Tom Young took to social media to appeal for funding. He also said the local chapter of Crime Stoppers is in dire need of more volunteers to stay afloat.
Young said before COVID the organization had a lot more volunteers and managed to raise the funds needed to operate but many of those volunteers did not return after COVID.
Young has been on the board of Crime Stoppers of Simcoe, Dufferin, and Muskoka for eight years. “When I started eight years ago there were about eight or nine of us on the board. We would meet once a month in Barrie, and then every area such as Muskoka, Wasaga Beach, Barrie, Orillia, Midland, they all had their individual committees.” He said to survive, the organization desperately needs more board and committee members as well as funding.
He’s reached out to all municipalities that benefit from the program. He said the District Municipality of Muskoka gives the organization $10,000 annually on behalf of all six Muskoka municipalities, and he is waiting to hear about more funding from municipalities further south that also benefit from the program.
The organization has become a household name, but very few people understand how it works and how it is funded. “Crime Stoppers is not funded by anybody. It’s not a police program, it’s not a government program, it’s a private program that started in 1987, and we have to fundraise to get money,” explained Young. He said the organization needs about $70,000 annually, including tip money, to run.
Since its inception in 1987, the local chapter has received 74,583 tips, resulting in 5,305 arrests and 11,582 charges laid. Young said more than $13 million in property has been recovered, and about $95 million worth of drugs have been seized and taken off the street and more than $300,000 in cash recovered.
He said the organization accepts anonymous tips from the public through a 1-800 number. The caller is assigned a number and told to call back in three or four weeks to check on their tip. The tip taker gives the tip to the appropriate police force, they do an investigation. It might be a brand new investigation, or the tip might help in an active investigation. Young said police will report back and let Crime Stoppers know how helpful the tip was. A calculation will be made regarding the payout for the tip; the caller will be given a number, and they can go to any TD branch to pick up the cash, explained Young. Tips can also be left on the organization’s website.
“Crime Stoppers plays a vital role in preserving public safety and combatting criminal activity in our community,” said Huntsville Detachment Commander John-Paul Graham. “The program empowers citizens to assist the police in solving criminal and traffic related offences. The program is publicly funded by charitable donations and truly has a positive impact on public safety and community wellbeing. All Crime Stoppers tips are anonymous and assigned to an officer for follow-up.
“As Sir Robert Peel stated, ‘the police are the public; the public are the police.’ Crime Stoppers allows a member of the public to be actively involved in solving a crime or traffic related offence without being in the spotlight of public scrutiny,” added Graham.
If you’d like to volunteer for the Simcoe, Dufferin and Muskoka chapter you can email Young at [email protected] or find them on Facebook. For more information or to donate, access their website at https://www.crimestopperssdm.com/
History Of Crime Stoppers
(This is a synopsis from the Haldimand and Norfolk chapter).
The vital crime-fighting program, known worldwide as Crime Stoppers, started in 1976. The program evolved from the tragic murder of a young gas station attendant in Albuquerque, New Mexico named Michael Carmen.
While working the midnight shift, this 19-year-old victim was robbed of $43.00 cash and four cartons of cigarettes and then shot and killed by two armed suspects. Greg MacAleese, a Canadian-born detective, was called in to investigate. Because the crime occurred on a busy street, he knew that there had to be many witnesses to the crime, and yet, no one would come forward.
After months of investigating with no leads, MacAleese approached a local television station to re-enact the crime and ask for the public’s help. A $1000 reward was offered and a tipsline was set up. Callers were promised anonymity – they would not have to identify themselves or testify in court. The show was called Crime Stoppers. Within 24 hours of airing, the case was solved and life was given to the Crime Stoppers program. Today, there are hundreds of recognized programs around the world.
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