January is Crime Stoppers Month

WELLINGTON CTY.

Each year Crime Stoppers programs around the world celebrate Crime Stoppers Month in January to highlight successes and promote their crime fighting initiatives.

Crime Stoppers is a civilian community organization devised to acquire information to assist law enforcement agencies in solving crime. It pays cash rewards up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest of criminals, recovery of stolen property and seizure of illegal drugs while maintaining total anonymity to the tipster and complete confidentiality of the tip.

Last year was another successful year for Crime Stoppers of Guelph  and Wellington County as the program assisted police and other government agencies in seizing over $5 million in illicit drugs and stolen property.

The Crime Stoppers program is made up of three elements - the media, the community and law enforcement:

- the media publicize cases or details about a case not yet solved or about a person wanted on a warrant and highlights the program to further heighten awareness;

-  the community, through its local volunteer board of directors, community members who provide tip information and others who provide funds and donations for the maintenance of the program; and

- law enforcement receives the anonymous tip information from office staff and follows the information through to its conclusion.

Crime Stoppers of Guelph Wellington is a non-profit corporation and formed in May of 1988. Money to pay tipsters is raised through donations and fundraising activities held by the board. It is comprised of a group of volunteers; dedicated and concerned citizens in the community.

To become a board member or assist in volunteering at an event, call the office at 519-846-5371 or visit www.crimestopersguelphwellington.com.

Statistics for Crime Stoppers of Guelph Wellington since 1988 are:

- number of calls, 14,535;

- rewards approved, $134,335;

- cases cleared, 2,118;

- arrests, 1,389;

- value of property recovered, $9,839,499;

- narcotics recovered, $25,318,767; and

- total cash recovered $35,158,266.

January 20, 2012