Crime Stoppers

Crime Stoppers in Australia

In 1987 the Victorian Police Service started the first Australian Crime Stoppers program. New South Wales and Queensland followed in 1989. It was then introduced in Tasmania in 1994, and Western Australia in 1995. South Australia, ACT and the Northern Territory commenced in 1996. 

In 1998 Crime Stoppers Australia Limited was established by the State and Territory programs to provide national and international representation, and a national information service. 

The Crime Stoppers concept is a unique partnership between the community, the police and the media. Each state program is run through a company structure, administered by a Board of Directors. The companies work closely with the police to ensure that the community can participate in crime fighting. The directors are all volunteers drawn from a wide section of the community, and each board is responsible for the development of strategies to finance and promote their Crime Stoppers programs in 
conjunction with the police.

Today Crime Stoppers operates throughout Australia, and the information gathered and supplied by the community has become an integral part of policing and crime fighting.

The History of Crime Stoppers 

It is July 1976, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Michael Carmen, a university student, was working the night shift at a petrol station, just 2 weeks before his wedding. Two men burst in with shotguns and robbed the till, and shot Michael dead.

More than 6 weeks after the murder, detectives were no closer to a solution. Out of desperation, Detective Greg MacAlesse approached the General Manager of the local television station, and requested a reconstruction. The re-enactment offered the informants total anonymity 
and a cash reward of $1000 for information leading to the arrest of the offenders.

Within 72 hours of the program going to air, a young man rang in and stated that he had seen a car speeding away from the service station, and because it looked out of place, he noted the registration number. He had not made contact earlier for fear of getting involved.

The caller's information was the missing link that led to the arrest of the offenders.

An unexpected and important bonus that emerged from this tragic event was that detectives received lots of other information and solved many crimes, unrelated to Michael's murder, thanks to the anonymous "tips" line.

Detective MacAlesse had identified two significant reasons why the public is reluctant to come forward, namely fear and apathy.

To overcome these problems, a new approach was needed. To counteract fear, Detective MacAlesse decided that a system was required whereby the community could communicate information to the police with total anonymity.

To overcome fear and apathy, he identified the need to: Stimulate community involvement and participation in reporting crime Involve the media, particularly television and electronic media, to help 
publicise unsolved crimes Offer cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of offenders. 

AS A RESULT CRIME STOPPERS WAS BORN!

Crime Stoppers is based on the principal that "Someone other than the criminal has information that can solve a crime".

The founder of our style of peace officer policing, Sir Robert Peel said in 1829: "Police are the public, and the public are the police, the police being the only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence".

Crime Stoppers works because it is about the community taking ownership of crime fighting. 

Today there are over 1100 Crime Stoppers programs around the world, in countries like the USA, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Canada and many other nations.

Hundreds of thousands of crimes have been solved since its inception, and billions worth of property and drugs have been seized. (Crime Stoppers International Statistics)
Source: Crime Stoppers
Date & Time: 13/09/01 
Checked: 20:20pm 1st February 2002.