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Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Incorporated News and Events |
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P.O. Box 1119, Owen Sound, ON N4K 6K6 Phone 519-371-6078 Media Contact - OPP Constable Dean Rutherford, Police Coordinator - Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc. |
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Crime Stoppers Celebrates 25th Anniversary January is Crime Stoppers Month |
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The year 2012 will usher in a significant milestone for Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc. as the community - based organization celebrates 25 years of service to the citizens of Grey and Bruce. Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce was incorporated in 1987 based on a concept conceived eleven years earlier in Albuquerque New Mexico. Canadian-born Detective Greg MacAleese was assigned to investigate a 1976 robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a young employee of a gas station in Albuquerque. Frustrated by the lack of a solid investigative leads MacAleese recognized there were two reasons the public did not communicate information concerning crime to authorities - Fear and Apathy. He reasoned that if he were to offer a cash reward, to overcome the apathy, while guaranteeing anonymity, to protect against reprisal, he might be able to solve this case. He contacted the media, staged a televised re-enactment of the crime, and offered a cash reward for information that led to an arrest of the persons responsible. He set up a secure "Tips" line and invited the public, after viewing the re-enactment, to call with information. He received a number of calls and the case was solved. The Crime Stoppers concept was born!
Encouraged by the success of Crime Stoppers in the USA, Calgary became the first Canadian city to launch a Crime Stoppers program in 1982 which lead to Hamilton becoming the first Ontario program in 1985. It was shortly after this that the wheels were put into motion to establish a Crime Stoppers program in Grey Bruce and Bruce Counties.
The initial driving force behind the establishment of a local program came from a small group of community minded citizens as well as police representatives from the RCMP, Owen Sound Police Service, and the OPP.
Carol Lee, a local high school teacher, and Murray Smart, a local accountant, were two of the early pioneers in establishing the program. They, along with Cam Croal of the OPP, Al Hay of the OSPS, and Pat Murphy of the OPP already sat on a committee with Crime Prevention Ontario and it was during a Provincial Crime Prevention seminar hosted in Owen Sound that Solicitor General Joan Smith spoke of the Crime Stoppers concept, a concept already in the sights of the various police services.
“There was a lot of work that needed to be done” says Sgt. Cam Croal of the RCMP. “First we had to sell the concept to the various Municipal and OPP police services in Grey and Bruce while also contacting the numerous media outlets and asking them to be our partners”.
The next task at hand was to approach community-minded citizens who would volunteer as board members. These volunteers came from all walks of life which included insurance brokers, teachers, real estate agents, a lawyer, an accountant, and a nurse.
Al Hay of the OSPS remembers the formulation of the program as a very positive experience. “We had some great people working together toward a great cause. Everybody had a job to do and we got it done. There was great support from everyone”.
Although Crime Stoppers programs already existed in urban centres such as Hamilton, Waterloo, and Toronto there was yet to be a program in a rural setting and Grey Bruce would be the first such program.
“We didn’t really know what to expect” says Carol Lee. “It was all new to us but at the same time it was exciting to know that we were starting up something good”.
“So new was it that when the program received its’ first anonymous tip we really weren’t sure what to do” said co-founder Murray Smart. “The night before our official swearing in at a ceremony in Owen Sound we received a tip about a theft in Meaford. They nabbed the bad guy and we all sat around asking ourselves – Now what?” The program hadn’t yet raised any funds to pay tipsters so it was one of the volunteer board members who paid the reward out of his own pocket.
Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce was incorporated on May 15th 1987 and in its’ infant years the program drew great support from its’ essential partners, the media, the police and the community.
“I still recall our very first Crime Stoppers re-enactment on TV” says Murray Smart. “It was a bank robbery in Port Elgin”.
“The business community response was great” says Carol Lee. “We received donations from local businesses to help pay our tipsters and run the program” “We also became very active in fundraising events such as our very first Bail-a-Thon held at the Owen Sound IGA.”
The Crime Stoppers Charity Golf Tournament will be celebrating an anniversary of its’ own this year when it hosts the 20th edition of the popular event on June 7th. The tournament has raised over $350,000.00 for the program.
Over the past 25 years there have been several volunteers who have made Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce a great success story.
“The strength of the program has been its’ volunteers” says OPP Constable Dean Rutherford, the programs’ Police Coordinator. “For 25 years we have witnessed outstanding contributions from volunteers from throughout Grey and Bruce who have formed our Board of Directors and who have dedicated their time to making our communities safer.”
One only needs to look at the statistics to recognize the success of the program. Since inception in 1987 Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce has received 11,098 tip reports resulting in 1,394 arrests, 2,447 cases solved, and the seizure of more than $48 Million in illegal drugs and stolen property while authorizing $218,000.00 in cash rewards to tipsters.
“We’ve come a long way since the seed was planted back in 1986” says Rutherford. "But as you can see by these results Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce has blossomed into a formidable force in the battle against crime.”
If you wish to learn more about Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce you can visit their website at www.crimestop-gb.org or e-mail us at crimestopgb@bmts.com
MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator - Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078 Cell 519-379-0177crimestopgb@bmts.com
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GERMANIA MUTUAL INSURANCE BECOMES A RUBY LEVEL PARTNER OF CRIME STOPPERS OF GREY BRUCE INC. |
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HANOVER WALMART SUPERCENTRE DONATES BAIL-A-THON PROCEEDS TO CRIME STOPPERS OF GREY BRUCE |
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Pictured left to right: Cst. Dean Rutherford, accepting the cheque on behalf of Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce, from Meg, Charity Committee Chairperson, Hanover Walmart Supercentre. On April 15 and 16, 2011 the Hanover Walmart Supercentre held a "Bailathon" in their store in which many of the management staff were temporary "jailed" to raise funds on behalf of Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce. The store staff and patrons raised an amazing $700.00 which was matched by Walmart Canada for a total donation of $1,400.00! Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce wishes to express it's appreciation to the Hanover Walmart Supercentre for their generous donation, thereby becoming "part of the solution" to crime in Grey and Bruce Counties. MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator – Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078 Cell 519-379-0177
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HOCKEY STARS AND THE SUN SHINE AT CRIME STOPPERS GOLF TOURNAMENT Popular Local Annual Event Raises $16,500.00 for Grey Bruce Program |
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CRIME STOPPERS OF GREY BRUCE RECEIVES FUNDING FROM COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GREY BRUCE |
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10 Billion Dollars Recovered Worldwide! Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Ushers in “Crime Stoppers Month” With Impressive Milestone They say that nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come…well for Crime Stoppers that time has well and truly arrived. In fact so well that Crime Stoppers, globally, has just passed the $10 Billion (USD) mark in the value of drugs and property recovered from people who have been apprehended by Law Enforcement Officials, based on information provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers has assisted in the arrest of more than 800,000 people so far, and helps solve a crime somewhere in the world every 14 minutes! The information would have been supplied to any of the 1,200+ local Crime Stoppers programs in more than 20 countries around the world. Mr. Michael Gordon-Gibson, President of Crime Stoppers International, said: “The majority of the people working in Crime Stoppers globally are community volunteers, people who believe that if we all did a little bit in reducing crime in our local communities it would compound to make a BIG difference, well it has, well and truly. Our volunteers work tirelessly to collect information from the public and pass this onto local law enforcement.” He continued to say: “The information is provided, anonymously, by telephone, and on-line, from people in these local communities, who feel safe in doing so based on the fact that for more than 30 years their identities are and always will be, protected. This is a cornerstone of our operation and over the years other copy-cat organizations have come and gone, but the original and trusted Crime Stoppers organization grows every year.” This huge milestone has been achieved shortly after a co-operation agreement was signed by INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble and CSI President Michael Gordon-Gibson after the resolution's approval, whereby the two organizations will work closely with CSI supporting specific Interpol operations in the coming years. Crime Stoppers International, (CSI), is the umbrella organization that is operated by a volunteer board of directors representing Crime Stoppers programs around the world. There are over 1,200 Crime Stoppers programs operating throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Central America, Mexico and many Caribbean and Pacific nations. (www.csiworld.org) One of these programs is our very own Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc. who once again enjoyed a banner year in assisting law enforcement agencies in the solving of crime and the seizure of illegal drugs and stolen property. In 2010 tips to Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce resulted in the seizure of over $11 Million in drugs and stolen goods. Since inception in 1987 the local program has amassed totals of over $46 Million in seized drugs and property resulting in 1,360 arrests while solving 2,410 cases. Mr. David Wyles, Chairman of the Board for Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc. further extolled the success of the local program: “The fact that this program has become worldwide, within the span of 30 years, reflects a universal sentiment that by being part of a solution makes each of our worlds a little bit safer – for ourselves, our loved ones and the communities in which we live; clearly, within the Grey Bruce region we see this in action each day. Through the increasing number of volunteer hours our fellow community members provide and through the expanding number of organizations established to assist one another, we see this universal sentiment at work. Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce is proud to be a part of this community, proud to see the community’s support of our program grow each year and proud to be part of the solution”. OPP Constable Dean Rutherford, Police Coordinator also commented: “We hope that by recognizing January as Crime Stoppers Month world-wide and by hosting such promotions as the recent Stanley Cup visit to Owen Sound and Hanover that we can bring public awareness to the great success of the program”. Congratulatory letters praising the work of Crime Stoppers have been received in the past week from Prime Minister Steven Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Jim Bradley, Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jeffrey, and OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis. If you are interested in having a guest speaker talk about Crime Stoppers, or wish to learn more about how to get involved in the program, you can contact the Administration Office at 519-371-6078, via Email at crimestopgb@bmts.com, or visit our website at www.crimestop-gb.org Crime Stoppers offers up to $2,000 for information that assists law enforcement in the solving of crime or the seizure of stolen goods and/or illegal drugs. Callers can call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Callers do not have to provide their name or appear in court. Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to call display. MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator - Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078 Cell 519-379-0177crimestopgb@bmts.com
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Crime Stoppers World Wide Statistics as of December 31, 2010 Cases Cleared 1,311,032 Arrests Made 861,681 Rewards Paid $95,600,102 Property Recovered $2,075,107,852 Narcotics Seized $7,932,104,805 Total
Dollar Value Recovered $10,007,212,657 |
Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Statistics for 2010 Tip Reports 493 Cases Cleared 33 Arrests 42 Rewards Approved $7,375 Rewards Paid $3,150 Property Recovered $43,870 Narcotics Seized $11,770,060 Total Dollar Value Recovered $11,813,930
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Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Statistics Since Inception in 1987 Tip Reports 10,695 Cases Cleared 2,412 Arrests 1,361 Rewards Approved $210,250 Property Recovered $3,380,172 Narcotics Seized $42,932,319 Total Dollar Value Recovered $46,312,491
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CRIME STOPPERS OF GREY BRUCE RECOGNIZES MAC'S CONVENIENCE STORES AS A MAJOR SUPPORTER |
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Pictured left to right: Sean Sportun and Senior Director of Central Canada Operations Joe Nemeth of Mac's Convenience Stores; Police Coordinator Cst. Dean Rutherford and Vice Chair David Wyles of Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc. On September 20, 2010 Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce presented a plaque to Mac's Convenience Stores in appreciation for the nearly $500,000.00 in funds raised through the sale of Nevada Break-Open tickets over the past 15 years at their Chesley, Hanover, and Lucknow stores. In October the Kincardine Mac's Convenience Store will begin selling Nevada Break-Open tickets in support of Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce. MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator - Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078 Cell 519-379-0177crimestopgb@bmts.com
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Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Mourns the Loss of Founding Member Dolores Brosky
Called home to be welcomed by her Lord on Saturday, June 5, 2010, in her 74th year. Dolores Alexine Brosky of Kemble, devoted sister of Dr. Gerry Brosky of Halifax, Joe Brosky and Roy Brosky, both of Toronto. She will be fondly remembered by her nephews and their families. Predeceased by her parents Alex and Anne (nee Yurchesyn), her brother Michael and her sister-in-law Hope. Dolores was a long-time member devoted to the Catholic Church and will be dearly missed by her church family. Dolores was cherished by her Quota family who held her in high esteem for her devotion to helping others. Dolores held positions of Past International President, Governor and Past President of Quota International of Owen Sound, District 18. A true giver, Dolores also became founding member of Crime Stoppers Grey Bruce and was Past Treasurer. Dolores has touched so many hearts over the years and will not be forgotten. |
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For distribution on Thursday November 5th, 2009
Crime Stoppers Works to Prevent Crime During the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games
November 5, 2009 -- The Canadian Crime Stoppers Association (CCSA), member of Crime Stoppers International, has partnered up with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is seeking assistance from the Canadian public in reporting criminal information that may negatively impact the 2010 Games in Vancouver. Crime Stoppers is a civilian, non profit, charitable organization that brings together in a tripartite relationship the police services of a community, the media, and the community in the fight against crime. Crime Stoppers provides citizens with the ability to supply the police anonymously with information about a crime or potential crime of which they have knowledge. “We are asking for help from the Canadian public in reporting any information that could help prevent criminal activity during the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says CCSA Chair Ralph Page. Please call the Crime Stoppers TIPS line to report any criminal activity that could potentially impact the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or text a message using Keyword "BCTIP" to 274637 (CRIMES). You can also report a tip through the website: www.solvecrime.ca. Cash rewards are available to people who call the program and their information leads to an arrest. For more information, go to www.canadiancrimestoppers.org MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator - Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078crimestopgb@bmts.com
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MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator - Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078crimestopgb@bmts.com
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Crime Stoppers Announces New Technology Allowing for On-Line "Web Tips" Media Release April 2, 2008 Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce has recently announced that they will now be able to receive confidential tips via the world-wide web. Crime Stoppers is a community based program that allows the public to anonymously report information that could assist law enforcement in the solving of crime while at the same time allowing the tipster to earn a cash reward of up to $2,000.00. Traditionally calls have been received by telephone, however as Program Coordinator OPP Constable Dean Rutherford states "it's time to get with the times". "We realize that there are those in today's generation who feel more comfortable in front of a computer than on a telephone and therefore we've introduced technology that will allow tipsters to provide information through a secure web-site." Rutherford said. 22 of the 38 Crime Stoppers programs in Ontario are now utilizing web-tips and have reported great success in the process. Instead of picking up a phone and dialing 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) tipsters will have the option of contacting a "secure" server and typing in the information. Tipsters will be afforded the opportunity to provide their own code number or one will be provided for them. The quickest way to hook up to the secure server is to log on to the Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce web-site at www.crimestop-gb.org and click onto the web-tip icon. Tipsters can also access it through the online portal located at www.tipsubmit.com. "I realize that some people may have concerns about the security of web-tips (hackers etc.)" said Rutherford "however I'm assured that the online portal is a very security hardened server which gets tested and certified daily by the world's largest server security auditing firm and recent technology allows us to keep all data on the server encrypted at all times." Benefits of the "web-tips" include the capability of two way dialogue and the capability of reporting a tip on a computer from anywhere in the world. "Anonymity is the cornerstone of the Crime Stoppers Program" says Rutherford, "and whether it's a telephone call or a web-tip our #1 priority is maintaining that anonymity" "It's your information we want, not your name". MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator - Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078crimestopgb@bmts.com
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OWEN SOUND STAPLES BUSINESS DEPOT DONATES A LAPTOP COMPUTER TO CRIME STOPPERS OF GREY BRUCE.
Pictured left to right: Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Coordinator OPP Constable Dean Rutherford; Todd Griffith-Business Support Manager at Staples; Syd Austin-General Manager at Staples; Gerard Boucher-Chairman of Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce. Staples Business Depot in Owen Sound recently continued their corporate support to Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc. when they donated a lap top computer to the local crime fighting organization. The computer will be used for power point presentations on Crime Stoppers and crime awareness presentations. MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator – Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078
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THE CRIME STOPPERS OF GREY BRUCE BAIL-A-THON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2005 Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce will be hosting a fun filled fundraiser called the 2005 Bail-a-Thon, which will be held in the Centre Court of Heritage Place Shopping Centre, Owen Sound, on October 19th from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Defendants will receive a “summons” charging them with a specific offence, be asked to appear before a celebrity “judge” and, after being declared guilty, be sentenced to “jail” until a specific amount of bail money is raised. Trials take about 10 – 15 minutes. Each “jailbird” is asked to raise some or all of their bail money prior to their court date – pledge sheets will be provided. The prisoner will have access to a phone in the jail to call family, friends, and business associates for donations. The persons called can make pledges on the phone or people in attendance can make pledges on the spot. The whole idea of this fundraiser is of course to raise funds for Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce while at the same time having a lot of fun. The jailbirds are encouraged to “ham it up” if they wish, (Defendants have been known to show up with blow up dolls as legal counsel because they couldn’t afford a lawyer, or in some cases the Defendants have been asked to sing for their freedom). Some of the celebrity judges include Owen Sound Mayor Ruth Lovell, Saugeen Shores Mayor Mark Kraemer, Charlie Fitch, and Dave Carr. You can help support Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce by sponsoring a jailbird by either pledging to have them bailed out of, (or kept in), jail. Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce relies heavily on fund raising activities such as the Bail-a-Thon and depends on donations to help finance the day-to-day operations of the program and, most importantly, to pay our “tipsters” who provide valuable information to law enforcement agencies. Our Board of Directors is made up of concerned volunteer members of the community. Crime Stoppers does not receive any government funding, other than grants to pay for our after-hours answering service. The local program is a fully functioning, registered, incorporated charity and, as such, issues income tax receipts for any donations received. In Grey and Bruce Counties, the local highly successful program was formed in May 1987. Since that date, we have received tips which resulted in 1,123 arrests, 2,171 cases solved, $20,540,892 in drugs and stolen property recovered, and a total of $159,075 in rewards allocated. MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator – Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078
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And The Winner Is.......
Left to right: Taun Frosst - Bluewater Sales & Services; Betty Bender – Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce; Diane Snyder – Bruce Tractor & Lawn Care; Phil Saunders – John Deere Ltd; Gerry Boucher – Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc. Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce held their ATV Raffle draw on Wednesday November 10th at 12:00 noon. The draw took place at Bruce Tractor & Lawn Care outside of Walkerton. Bruce Tractor provided great support to the local Crime Stoppers organization therefore it was only fitting that Phil Saunders, representing John Deere, pulled the winning ticket for the grand prize from the barrel. The lucky first prize winner of a John Deere “Buck” Utility ATV was Lloyd Rowbotham of RR#4 Creemore. Lloyd purchased his winning ticket while attending this year’s International Plowing Match in Meaford. The second prize presented was a Toshiba 32” flat screen TV courtesy of Leon’s of Owen Sound and the lucky ticket drawn belonged to Bruce Farr of RR #1 Guelph. Mr. Farr also purchased his ticket while attending the International Plowing Match. The third prize was a 21 Speed mountain bike donated by Tom Stewart of Southampton and the winning ticket was owned by Steve Gallinger of Woodstock. All proceeds from the draw will go directly to the general fund of Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce for use in the everyday operations of the program as well as the payment of rewards. Crime Stoppers is a civilian community organization devised to acquire information that assists law enforcement agencies in the resolution of crime. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of criminals, recovery of stolen property, and the seizure of illegal drugs while maintaining total anonymity to the caller and complete confidentiality of the tip. Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce wishes to thank everyone for supporting our raffle and in particular Bruce Tractor & Lawn Care, Bluewater Sales & Services in Port Elgin, Leon's Furniture in Owen Sound, Tom Stewart & Son in Southampton, and Tim Horton’s in Walkerton. MEDIA CONTACT: OPP Constable Dean RutherfordPolice Coordinator – Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce Inc.Phone 519-371-6078
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