By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers team continues to take a bite out of crime.
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of volunteers and the work of co-ordinator Erica McIntosh, a total of 120 cases were cleared in 2024 and $172,410 worth of drugs and property were taken off the streets or recovered.
In total, 531 tips led to 15 arrests for the year, according to C-K Crime Stoppers vice-chair Aaron Hurst, with around $4,000 distributed to anonymous tipsters.
Hurst said the effort is a busy one.
“We’re getting a lot of our tips online,” Hurst said recently of the initiative, that with the exception of the co-ordinator’s part-time role, runs entirely on people dedicated to the cause.
Even though fewer tips were received in 2024 compared to 2023, police were able to make more arrests, he said.
Hurst said the group is actively looking for volunteers to help out with fundraising events. One of the goals for 2025 is to host the second annual golf tournament at Hidden Hills Golf & Country Club, an event that sold out last year.
“We’re continuing to grow,” Hurst told The Voice. “The success of our program depends on volunteers and we’re actively looking for more people to join.”
Hurst said he wants to stress to the public that tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous, whether by phone or online.
“That’s what our program is based on,” he added.
Since its inception in 1987, Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers has been responsible for eliminating more than $115 million worth of stolen property and illegal drugs from the streets, as well as seizing 340 illegal weapons.
