Crime Stoppers of Kingston

What is Crime Stoppers?

Crime Stoppers is one of the most effective law enforcement programs to appear. It is a non-profit, charitable organization, relying on cooperation between law enforcement agencies, news media and the public. Community support for the Crime Stoppers program in Kingston and District has been strong, from Tipsters, Police Services and Sponsors of the program.

March 12, 2008 - Crime Stoppers Celebrates 20 Years Serving Our Community

From our humble beginning in the Old Kingston Police Headquarters on Queen Street in 1988, a dedicated group of volunteers formed a Crime Stoppers program to take anonymous tips from callers in the Kingston and 1000 Islands area. The first Police Coordinators were Kingston Police Cst. Ari Moraal and OPP Cst. P.J. McCaffery.

The first Board of Directors included Guy Paquette, Don Tough, William Chitty and a few more. Their first task - to prove to skeptics that the programme works! Ideas and plans were developed with the assistance of Ottawa Crime Stoppers. The initial Crime Stoppers van came from Revell Ford in Verona. The public began to respond within a few weeks of start-up with tips and leads and Crime Stoppers was off to a great start!

20 years and over 12,000 tipsters later, our track record of success speaks for itself. Tips from Crime Stoppers have assisted police in cracking everything from impaired drivers, drug trafficking, armed robberies to murders. Our very successful Cash for Guns 2 years ago, netted 286 firearms off our streets.

This successful is shared, along with huge thanks, to our partners in the media and the investigative agencies that we work with.

How did Crime Stoppers begin?

In July 1976 in Albuquerque New Mexico a university student was killed during a gas station robbery. After 6 weeks of investigation the police had very few leads as to who was responsible.

Police Detective Greg MacAleese thought that if the public was able to observe a re enactment of the crime on television this may lead to a citizen providing information that may lead to an arrest.

Greg MacAleese was right. A caller contacted the police Department the next day after seeing the re enactment. The tip information was enough to lead the police to the two men who were responsible. Within 72 hours of the reenactment being aired the police had solved the murder. This was the beginning of Crime Stoppers.

Crime Stoppers in Ontario, has helped to solve more than 113,924 cases since 1982 and has recovered well in excess of 1.495 billion dollars in property and drugs. More than 74,475 arrests have been made as a result of this program. Crime Stoppers in Kingston, Ont. began operation in 1988. Since that time, tips from Kingston/1000 Islands Crime Stoppers have resulted in 1,325 arrests, clearing 1,609 cases.

The recovered property value is $4,699,392, the recovered narcotics value is $43,976,478. Total Kingston Crime Stoppers rewards paid out is $167,425.

How does Crime Stoppers Work?

The Crime Stoppers tip line is manned by trained personnel who receive, process, and pass on tip information to investigating officers. Callers are given a code number which is used in all subsequent calls and callers are not identified. And now, we can accept tips via the web. By using the link on the home page, or logging on to www.tipsubmit.com you now can anonymously give tips by either method.

A reward of up to $2,000 is offered to anyone providing information which leads to an arrest for a crime and/or the recovery of stolen property or narcotics. Crime Stoppers encourages the public to call with information on crimes that have already been committed, those that are about to occur and/or the whereabouts of suspects wanted by police.

Crime Stoppers guarantees ANONYMITY of the caller. The call is not traced, recorded, nor does Crime Stoppers subscribe to Call Display. No one will know who the caller is! Court convictions are not a stipulation in reward pay-outs. Crime Stoppers is not a Government funded organization. Cash rewards are NOT TAX DOLLARS! Crime Stoppers is a charitable organization funded by private TAX-EXEMPT donations.

The media is a very important component of Crime Stoppers. An unsolved crime may be re-enacted and shown on television or may be publicized in a newspaper or aired on the radio. The media also brings the program to the attention of the public.

If you have any information on any crime that has occured, please call Kingston Crime Stoppers at: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or follow the link on the home page to submit a web tip.

WE DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME, JUST YOUR INFORMATION....YOUR IDENTITY IS PROTECTED......WE DO NOT HAVE CALL DISPLAY!