If Crime Stoppers is anonymous - how do they deliver the reward money?

Crime 100By Pepper Parr

March 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Just how does Crime stoppers work?

Everyone knows what Crime Stoppers is. Few know just how it works other that there are cash awards for some tips.

The Gazette publishes the following at the bottom of every crime related news article. The Regional Police add it to everything thy send out.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

How effective is the service? Stats for 2016:

Number of Crime Stoppers tips called in – 1,218
Arrests made as the result of a Crime Stoppers tip: 36
Cases Cleared as the result of a Crime Stoppers tip: 25
Charges Laid as the result of a Crime stoppers tip: 75
Property Recovered as the result of Crime Stoppers tips: $40,630
Drugs Seized due to Crime Stoppers tips: $87,600

So – how does being anonymous actually work?

Crime Stoppers is always looking for help.

When someone calls the 1-800 number they are asked not to personally identify themselves. The Crime stoppers telephone number does not have call display on any of its lines.

Cal Millar, the Crime Stoppers vice chair explains that most people don’t call Crime Stoppers looking for a financial reward – they want to help but they don’t want to be identified.

When a person calls Crime Stoppers they are given a six digit file number – and that is the way they know each other – by a number. “If a person tells us who they are, our trained Crime Stoppers operator immediately ends the call and instructs the caller to call the police.

The anonymity is core to what Crime Stoppers does; people, for the most part do not call for the reward money.

When there is a cash payout – how does a caller get the money – that’s a part of Crime Stoppers that results in a lot of humourous stories.

Detective - Cal Millar

What Crime Stoppers vice chair Cal Millar might have looked like when he was handing over a reward – there would have been a flower in the lapel of the trench coat.

Millar recalls the time he was to meet a Crime Stoppers caller. “I had an envelope with cash in it and had agreed to meet the caller at an agreed upon location. Because names were not being used I said I would be wearing a flower in the lapel of my jacket and would be standing near a stairway in a public place.”

“The Crime Stopper approached me” said Millar, “ told me what the six digit identifying number was and it matched what I had on the envelop so I passed it over and we each went our separate ways.”

The cloak and dagger days are in the past for Crime Stoppers. The organization has a number of trusted partners who hold the envelopes for people to pick up. A recipient of a cash award will drop by an office or a retail location and ask if there is an envelope. Give the clerk the identifying number and the envelope gets handed over.

HotelCalifornia poster Crime Stoppers

A tribute to the Eagles – Hotel California at the St Volodymyr Cultural Centre on March 30th.

Where does the reward money come from? That’s what Crime Stoppers fund raising is all about. They hold events and raise funds that they then hand out.

Crime Stoppers has an event coming up on March 30th.  Hotel California will be playing at St Volodymyr Cultural Centre on March 30th.

Crime Stoppers is supported by the Regional Police who provide office space and a trained staffer who has security clearance to handle the incoming calls.

There is also a police officer assigned to the unit as liaison. The role is currently filled by Detective Constable Jodi Thompson.

Police throughout Canada and the United states will tell you that after fingerprints Crime Stoppers is the best investigative tool they have. DNA has since been added to the best tools the police have.

Return to the Front page
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Comments are closed.