This month is better than most to make an effort to report crime – the City of Nanaimo has proclaimed January as Crime Stoppers Month.
To recognize the occasion, the Nanaimo RCMP is recalling past initiatives, looking forward to new ones, and continuing to count on the community’s tips.
“The Nanaimo RCMP is ever grateful to the community for their ongoing support of the Crime Stoppers program to help to make Nanaimo a safer place. When the citizens rally together to tackle crime we all live in a safer community,” said Nanaimo RCMP Supt. Cameron Miller in a press release.
Mayor Leonard Krog signed the proclamation which stated that “Nanaimo and District Crime Stoppers, made up of community members, media and the RCMP, have been an unqualified success since inception.”
RCMP say that since Nanaimo and District Crime Stoppers formed in 1990, the program has helped police recover $1.5 million in stolen property and intercept $9 million in illegal drugs. Hundreds of weapons including guns have also been seized.
Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said in the release that Crime Stoppers is proud of an award-winning Crime of the Week partnership with a media organization, and said more recently it worked with taxi companies to train drivers to report tips.
The release notes that Crime Stoppers is not a police agency, doesn’t receive government funding and relies on fundraising and community volunteers.
“Many people want to report crime but for various reasons, do not want to identify themselves or become involved in the court process. Crime Stoppers provides an option: You are never asked to identify yourself, you will never have to testify in court and if your tip leads to an arrest, you are eligible to receive a cash reward,” the release notes.
RCMP say nearly 1,000 tips were received in 2018, up nine per cent from the previous year.
“If you know something, say something, if you see something, do something,” the release notes.
Contact Crime Stoppers online at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com or call 1-800-222-8477 to provide a tip.
To read past coverage of unsolved crimes in Nanaimo, click here.
