CRIMESTOPPERS.NS.CA 3 been said that society’s values are reflected in the laws they enact and how those laws are enforced. Any seasoned police officer will echo a simple fact that community involvement is paramount in the service they provide. Crime Stoppers is a program that relies solely on community participation in order that they are another effective tool for our enforcement agencies. One should consider the value of an agency that is prepared to take information specific to criminal activity, assess it and pass it on to law enforcement. And also consider the time saved by anonymous tipsters providing police with their corroborated information. Today's society is eager to know that their tax dollars not only fund police in crime-solving but some of those precious funds should also be utilized to put programs in place that deter and prevent crime. This last statement is especially true when trying to reach our youth as early as possible in order to teach them to be lawabiding citizens. Finally, police involvement is essential to the success of Crime Stoppers. The roles of the dedicated coordinators is that of an advisor to their volunteer board of directors on award determination, providing statistics on behalf of their department and assisting the board with promoting the program. It cannot be overstated that police involvement as an equal partner is paramount to the overall acceptance and success of Crime Stoppers. CRIME STOPPERS PARTNERS - THE MEDIA When approached with this new and innovative program, it was an immediate buy-in from media. Whether it's continuous television, radio and wire news services, print, electronic, the Crime Stoppers homepage or social media, the importance of their support is paramount to the success of any Crime Stoppers program. Crime Stoppers commit to delivering a ready-made story to these partners. The role of media has changed from traditionally reporting crime to now playing a role in solving crime. Both the police and the media keep up-to-date on crime trends within their respective areas. Quite often, what may not be considered a valuable use of police resources in one area may be a priority in another area of the province. Knowing what affects our communities can dictate how both Crime Stoppers and the media respond in dealing with those issues. An additional role of media is Public Service Announcements (PSAs). PSA productions on human trafficking, illegal drug dealing, smuggling, and child exploitation are other examples of how they play an important role in the Crime Stoppers program. Like all the stakeholders in Crime Stoppers, the media's role cannot be understated. They, too, help in making Nova Scotia a safe place to live, conduct business and raise our children. The Crime Stoppers Partnership. A final word. Several years ago, one of our former dedicated police coordinators was asked 'what is the key to the Crime Stoppers partnership?’ Without hesitation, Sergeant Wayne Noonan responded in a word, "Trust." He went on to explain that each partner in a successful program relies on, or trusts, the other partners to fulfill their respective roles. Those taking the anonymous calls have to ensure that the information they receive can be corroborated before it is assigned to an investigator. It is of vital importance that they only receive and process real information about real crime. It is important to impress on all involved in Crime Stoppers that this is not a Big Brother Program. The volunteers maintain the administration and oversight of the entire Crime Stoppers program, from the initial tip, through the investigation, to file conclusion with or without tipster reward. (Remember, less than 30% of tipsters want the cash award). Our volunteers are trusted with these and all related activities associated with a successful program. In fairness to our police and media partners, our volunteers are our greatest asset. Finally, Crime Stoppers trust our partners in the media to keep Crime Stoppers front-and-centre whether it is an unsolved crime feature, a success story related to a tip or providing airtime or newspaper space to promote Crime Stoppers with a generic PSA. Their role in keeping Crime Stoppers in the public domain is absolutely necessary for the public to know that there is another avenue of reporting crime. In conclusion the underlying factor for a successful Crime Stoppers program from awareness, reporting, investigation, promotion and tipster payment is having trust in each other's role. Responsible partners will ensure that the integrity of this program will always be held in the highest regard. DSJNF!TUPQQFST!NOVA SCOTIA 1987-2024 OUR NJTTJPO STATEMENT Our goal is to make our communities a safer place to live, conduct business and raise our children.
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