It's been 30 years since a Canadian-born police detective living and working in Albuquerque, New Mexico came up with the concept of encouraging citizens to provide anonymous tips to assist police in catching criminals.
There was a murder and not enough information was forthcoming and so a detective named Greg MacAleese convinced his bosses to ask members of the public for assistance in return for come cash.
"In a matter of hours, calls came in about a car leaving the scene and within 72 hours, two men were arrested and charged with murder...they were later convicted for that murder," said Dick Stewart, chair of the board of Sudbury Rainbow Crime Stoppers.
"That was how the Crime Stoppers program was started 30 years ago."
To celebrate that historic occasion, Albuquerque played host to the 30th anniversary international Crime Stoppers conference last fall, said Stewart, who attended.
In Greater Sudbury, this is the 20th anniversary of Crime Stoppers, said Stewart.
The former Sudbury Regional Crime Stoppers program started in 1987 and was amalgamated with Sudbury Rainbow Crime Stoppers in 1993.
Since its inception, more than 17,600 tips have been forwarded to police services in Greater Sudbury, resulting in 2,565 arrests and the clearance of just over 3,100 cases, said Stewart.
"All of this has lead to the recovery of more than $39.5 million in drugs and stolen property," he said, "The rough breakdown is three to one drugs to stolen property, which means we've taken about $30 million in drugs off the streets due to tips forwarded by citizens to Crime Stoppers."
This is Crime Stoppers Month in Ontario and locally the big highlight is the 8th Annual Tri-Force Regimental Ball, set for Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Radisson Hotel's Palladium Room.
This is, by far, the biggest fundraiser of the year for the local Crime Stoppers program, said Stewart.
More than 400 people are expected to attend the event, which is a black tie affair, he said.
There are now more than 1,200 Crime Stoppers programs around the world, including more than 40 in Canada, he said.
"The amount of drugs and stolen property recovered because of Crime Stoppers runs into the billions and billions of dollars annually," he said. "Needless to say, it's become a vital weapon in assisting police."
The concept of llowing members of the public to provide anonymous tips and receive cash for tips that result in successful arrests and prosecutions won't be changing any time soon, said Stewart.
"These tips assist police and sometimes provide the key to a successful prosecution, but it often provides the impetus for police to get involved and the combination of the tip with good old-fashioned police work has combined for a very effective program," he said.
The local board is looking for citizens to volunteer from such areas as Espanola, Manitoulin Island and the Noelville-St. Charles region, said Stewart.
All you need to become a board member is be 21 years of age, have Canadian citizenship, not have any criminal record and be community-minded, he said.
If anyone is interested in becoming a board member or people want to purchase tickets ($200 per couple) for the Tri-Force Ball, they're asked to contact Sandra at 675-9171, ext. 5692.
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