NOVEMBER 1987

CRIME STOPPERS AUSTRALIA LTD (CSA) ESTABLISHED

Crime Stoppers Australia established as an independent not-for-profit registered charity, representing the collective eight state and territory programs in Australia.

The Board of Directors is made up of representatives from volunteer Boards for each jurisdiction and a Senior Executive representing the Australian Police Commissioners.

OCTOBER 1998

ACT REGION CRIME STOPPERS ESTABLISHED

ACT Region Crime Stoppers established as a volunteer based, not-for-profit program and registered charity delivering Crime Stoppers programs to the ACT and surrounding NSW regions (Queanbeyan and Yass).

NOVEMBER 2006

CRIME STOPPERS AUSTRALIA WEBSITE LAUNCHED

Launch of national website as an additional means of engaging with the community. Provided easy and direct links to ACT Region Crime Stoppers website.

JANUARY 2007

BRYAN ROACH ELECTED CHAIR OF ACT REGION CRIME STOPPERS

Bryan Roach is appointed Chair of ACT Region Crime Stoppers.

2008

BIZSAFE LAUNCHED

ACT Region Crime Stoppers joined forces with ACT Policing and the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry to reduce the risk of crime against businesses in the region.

NOVEMBER 2010

SAY SOMETHING DAY

This national campaign encouraged members of the public to report information about the illegal manufacture and dealing of illicit substances, especially clandestine “backyard” drug laboratories. As a result, ACT Policing seized $10,000 worth of illicit drugs and a number of packages thought to contain ICE, and made two arrests.

APRIL 2011

ACT REGION CRIME STOPPERS LAUNCHES FACEBOOK PAGE

ACT Region Crime Stoppers Facebook page is launched and becomes the first jurisdiction to do so. See our Facebook page here.

OCTOBER 2011

BRYAN ROACH ELECTED CHAIR OF CRIME STOPPERS AUSTRALIA

ACT Region Chair Bryan Roach is appointed Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia.

2011

TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CRIME AWARENESS PROGRAM

ACT Region Crime Stoppers worked with universities across Canberra to reach tertiary students and encourage them to understand the importance of reporting crime related information and take responsibility in their local community.

JUNE 2013

NEW NATIONAL CRIME STOPPERS LOGO INTRODUCED

A new recognisable logo was introduced nationally. This increased brand awareness and is across all states and territories Crime Stoppers organisations.

SEPTEMBER – NOVEMBER 2013

ILLICIT DRUGS CAMPAIGN

ACT Region Crime Stoppers and ACT Policing launched a campaign to seek information about illicit drugs activity in the region.

FEBRUARY 2015

INAUGURAL CRIME STOPPERS DAY LAUNCHED ACROSS AUSTRALIA

National Crime Stoppers Day 2015 marked the achievement of more than one million people contacting Crime Stoppers since it was founded in Australia in 1987, with the total number of arrests resulting from Crime Stoppers reports passing 50,000.

2015

SCHOOLS CRIME AWARENESS PROGRAM

This crime awareness program directed to Canberra’s youth was to increase understanding of the role the public can play in keeping the community safe. Students in years 7-10 were encouraged to design a new poster for ACT Region Crime Stoppers. The winning artwork was displayed on the ACTION buses network.

MAY 2016

LOCAL SUBURBS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

ACT Region Crime Stoppers partnered with Neighbourhood Watch ACT to raise awareness among local suburban retailers, their staff and the surrounding community of the importance and role of Crime Stoppers during Crime Stoppers Week 2016. The success of this campaign won an international award.

OCTOBER 2016

DIANA FORRESTER ELECTED CHAIR OF ACT REGION CRIME STOPPERS

Diana Forrester becomes Chair of ACT Region Crime Stoppers.

MAY 2017

CRIME STOPPERS WEEK 2017

ACT Region Crime Stoppers ran a series of community competitions and events to remind Canberrans of the important role of Crime Stoppers. This included a scavenger hunt throughout Canberra and a colouring competition with various prizes up for grabs.

JULY 2017

FIRST NATIONAL FIREARMS AMNESTY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

Crime Stoppers Australia implemented a National Illicit Firearms Campaign funded by the Attorney General’s Department to support a three-month National Firearms Amnesty. The grass roots community focus engaged more than 255,000 people through 79 community events delivered across the country and reached almost 1.4 million people via social media. Activities across the ACT and region supported this effort.

MAY 2018

CRIME STOPPERS WEEK 2018

To celebrate Crime Stoppers Week 2018, ACT Region Crime Stoppers partnered with McDonalds restaurants across the region to increase awareness and encourage fundraising for the program. Over $9,000 was raised for community education to help keep Canberra safe.

OCTOBER 2018

ACT HOSTS CRIME STOPPERS AUSTRALIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

ACT Region Crime Stoppers hosted the Crime Stoppers Australia National Conference at the National Press Club, bringing together leaders from government, law enforcement agencies, academia, and business to discuss the community’s role in disrupting crime.

OCTOBER 2018 – MARCH 2019

DOB IN A DEALER CAMPAIGN

This national initiative asked for information about the manufacture, dealing and trafficking of all illicit drug types in the community. To support the campaign, ACT Region Crime Stoppers partnered with ACT Policing, NSW Police, Yass Valley Council and Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council to hold public displays in Gungahlin and Tuggeranong and media activations in Yass and in Queanbeyan.

MAY 2019

DIANA FORRESTER ELECTED CHAIR OF CRIME STOPPERS AUSTRALIA

Chair of ACT Region Crime Stoppers, Diana Forrester, was elected as Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia, becoming the first woman to hold this important national post.

MAY 2019

IMPACT REPORT RELEASED

An independently commissioned Impact Report, released on Crime Stoppers Day, estimated the economic value of Crime Stoppers to Australia as $170m, with an additional $66m in added value from drugs being seized, property returned, and crimes being prevented. Every dollar invested in Crime Stoppers delivers an outstanding $11.15 in return value.

JUNE 2019

ACT REGION CRIME STOPPERS LAUNCH NEW WEBSITE

A new website was launched to make it easier and faster for the public to report anonymous information to ACT Region Crime Stoppers. This mobile responsive website immediately resulted in increased and better quality information from the public.

OCTOBER 2019

Outsmart the Offender

The ACT Government and ACT Policing, with the support of ACT Region Crime Stoppers and Neighbourhood Watch ACT launched a Property Crime Prevention campaign focusing on car theft, home burglary, apartment theft, small business theft and tradie tool theft.

DECEMBER 2019

CRIME STOPPERS ACHIEVES ONE CONTACT EVERY TWO MINUTES RESULTING IN 100 APPREHENSIONS EVERY WEEK

A total of 313,655 contacts were received in 2019 about criminals and illegal activity, leading to 155,240 information reports for follow-up action by police, resulting in 5,215 apprehensions and 18,686 charges.

MARCH 2020

eSAFETY CHILD PROTECTION CAMPAIGN

Crime Stoppers joined forces with the eSafety Commissioner to rollout a national Child Protection campaign, to help combat child sexual abuse and unwanted contact online.

MAY 2020

CRIME STOPPERS DAY 2020 – TRUST YOUR GUT

An independent national survey commissioned by Crime Stoppers Australia revealed 1 in 5 Australians turn a blind eye to crime. Based on the research, Crime Stoppers Day 2020 focused on encouraging people to speak up about unsolved crime or suspicious activity.

JUNE 2020

#MISSINGXMILK CAMPAIGN

ACT Region Crime Stoppers and ACT Policing partnered with Canberra Milk to feature missing persons from around Australia on the sides of milk bottles in the ACT.

JUNE 2020

ONLINE REPORTING BECOMES SAFER

Reporting information online to ACT Region Crime Stoppers became even safer with the introduction of TOR, an online protection software first developed by the US Navy.

NOVEMBER 2020

BIKELINC

To help reduce bike theft, ACT Region Crime Stoppers partnered with ACT Policing to launch Bikelinc – an online community tool that helps bike-minded people keep bikes with their rightful owners.

NOVEMBER 2020

IT’S WHAT YOU KNOW, NOT WHO YOU ARE

Crime Stoppers launched a campaign, in some of the nation’s most common languages, to encourage people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to come forward with information about suspicious and illegal activity.

DECEMBER 2020

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH ACT POLICING

ACT Region Crime Stoppers strengthened its 22-year relationship with ACT Policing by signing a new memorandum of understanding to govern and more closely guide the protocols of how the two organisations work together.

MAY 2021

CRIME STOPPERS DAY 2021 – NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES

Crime Stoppers Day 2021 provided opportunity to remind people their superpower is the courage to speak up and share what they know about unsolved crime and suspicious activity.

JULY 2021

PERMANENT NATIONAL FIREARMS AMNESTY LAUNCHED

Crime Stoppers Australia partnered with the Australian Government to launch a permanent national firearms amnesty to help reduce the number of unwanted, unregistered, or illicit firearms in the community. Phase-1 of the campaign was about promoting the amnesty and what it included to the community.

NOVEMBER 2021

OLIVER FORRESTER ELECTED CHAIR OF ACT REGION CRIME STOPPERS

Oliver Forrester is elected as Chair of ACT Region Crime Stoppers.

FEBRUARY 2022

PHASE 2 OF FIREARMS AMNESTY CAMPAIGN BEGINS

Phase 2 of the campaign began and urges the public to report to the police or Crime Stoppers when they know or suspect someone has an illegal or unregistered firearm. Community events were held across the region that enabled conversation and education about the amnesty.