Crime Stoppers
Operating throughout Australia, Crime Stoppers has become an integral part of policing with the information gathered and supplied by the community essential to crime fighting and crime prevention.
Crime Stoppers Australia comprises a board of directors who represent their respective States or Territories as well as key members of the Government and private enterprise who are able to make a contribution to the safety of Australians.
The Community
You, the citizen, form the foundation of a local Crime Stoppers program. Crime Stoppers relies on members of the public to call when they have information that may help stop, solve or prevent criminal activity in the community. Callers are never asked to identify themselves and there is no equipment in Crime Stoppers offices that records voices or traces telephone numbers. Anonymity is guaranteed. Members of the community who call Crime Stoppers receive a code number that allows them to claim a reward, if desired, once an arrest has been made.
Community members also participate in the day-to-day operations and financial support of the program. Volunteer directors serve on the Crime Stoppers board and are responsible for operating the non-profit corporation, raising funds and approving appropriate reward payments when crimes are solved.
Members of the public also support Crime Stoppers at public events and through various other fundraising activities.
The Media
As part of the mutual obligation between the community, the police and the media, local media outlets are responsible for promoting Crime Stoppers by publicizing unsolved crimes and assisting with appeals to raise funds for the program.
Newspapers, radio and television stations in the community undertake to frequently broadcast a “Crime of the Week” to highlight an unsolved case. This appeal can include a video re-enactment of a crime to give the public a visual portrayal of what occurred and some ideas about the information investigators may require in order to solve an incident.
To encourage the public to be engaged and alert participants in crime fighting in their community, the media also regularly promotes the special Crime Stoppers phone number.
The Police
A coordinator is appointed by the Police to run the Crime Stoppers program on a daily basis with additional staff operating an office that takes tips on the Crime Stoppers line. The Police are required to investigate the various Crime Stoppers tips from the public and report back to the coordinator when a case is solved.