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Regina Crime Stoppers put up some record-breaking numbers in 2019.
The organization announced Monday it received a record number of tips from the public in 2019, leading to increases in arrests, charges laid and cases cleared.
Crime Stoppers president Craig Perrault said at a media conference that the service got 1,295 tips. The previous record of 1,192 was set in 2017.
Those tips led to 25 arrests and 62 charges laid, increases from the 2018 totals of 22 and 55 respectively. The number of cases cleared rose to 52 from 23 the year before.
He attributes those numbers to more people moving to Regina and advertising.
“I think the population has increased, I definitely think (Crime Stoppers’) messaging and awareness has increased — that kind of combination just really allows information to travel faster,” Perrault said, adding that new Crime Stoppers educational programs aimed at newcomers and high school students could have also had an impact.
Regina police chief Evan Bray said the jump in tips is a reflection of residents wanting to live in a safer community.
Because each report is anonymous, Bray said it encourages everyone to share information.
“It could be someone (reporting) who does not want to get involved but has information, it might be someone who’s directly involved in the crime and wants a person held accountable or wants a crime to be investigated properly,” he explained, noting in the police’s detention area, there are advertisements for Crime Stoppers.
Crime Stoppers paid out $9,280 in rewards in 2019. As a result of the anonymous tips, the Regina Police Service recovered $87,720 in property and seized $4,550 worth of drugs.
Typically, Bray said the majority of tips are helpful in drug and impaired driving investigations.
Since its creation in 1984, Crime Stoppers has received 22,672 tips which led to 2,218 arrests. The service has helped the police recover more than $11 million in drugs and stolen property since its inception.
— With files from 980 CJME’s Jessie Anton
