After 30 years in Chatham-Kent, Crime Stoppers has partnered with police to make over 6,000 arrests, thanks to the thousands of tipsters who are helping to make their streets safer.
Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers awarded its first tipster for information to help police solve a crime 30 years ago. Three decades later, Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers has reached new heights in fighting crime.
From the start of the program to November 21, 2017, there has been $90,631,540 worth of drugs seized and $10,082,203 worth of property recovered in Chatham-Kent.
During that time, 25,869 tips were received by Crime Stoppers. These tips resulted in 6,276 arrests and 15,722 charges. Crime Stoppers also removed 253 weapons from the streets.
According to Crime Stoppers, the community is continuing on the same trend of success.
Since Tuesday, there have been 684 tips, 98 arrests, 292 charges, 136 cases cleared, and 20 weapons recovered. Those results also helped police locate $796,279 worth of drugs and $197,149 in stolen property.
Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers Board Chair Angie Shreve attributes says the statistics show the overall success of the program.
“The passion is taking crime off the streets to make Chatham-Kent a better place,” says Shreve. “We’re supported by the Chatham-Kent Police Service, our local media partners and by the residents. When you have all that support that’s what makes our program work. Not all Crime Stoppers programs have been that lucky.”
Bringing a Crime Stoppers program to Chatham-Kent first caught the interest of Margaret Illman, who was a former member of the Chatham police force board of directors.
“I really felt Crime Stoppers was something that would help the police department,” says Illman.
Illman became the first chair of the volunteer board and together with retired Chief Dennis Poole, who was a constable in 1987, Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers was launched.
“Crime Stoppers was a great and novel idea, as it engaged the public, the media, police investigators, and guaranteed anonymity for people who wished to pass on information but did not want to get involved as witnesses and be thrust into the whole court process,” says Poole.
Today, tipsters can call, email, or text their information anonymously.
“Our Crime Stoppers program works so well. The people on the board and our volunteers work so passionately and we have members who have served on our board for over 20 years,” says Shreve.