REGINA - It was another busy year for Regina Crime Stoppers in 2023, a year which saw more tips come in from the public on crime activity in the city.
According to the Crime Stoppers year end report for 2023 released Thursday at Regina Police headquarters, there were a total of 771 tips received in Regina, up from 715 in 2022.
There were 18 arrests that resulted, down from 24 last year, and 44 cases cleared which was up from 35.
There were 28 charges laid in 2023, down from 44 the previous year.
There was a significant decrease in the amount of property recovered and drug seized. Overall, the total amount of property, cash and drugs recovered in 2023 was $800, down from $686,400.
There was only $800 in property recovered in 2023, down from $617,200 in 2022. There were zero dollars of drugs seized in 2023, down from $66,700.
While it’s not entirely known why these particular amounts were as low as they were, Crime Stoppers officials did note these can fluctuate from year to year depending on the type of tips they receive and the subsequent investigations that follow.
Regina Deputy Chief of Police Lorilee Davies said the success of the Crime Stoppers program was measured in many ways, not just in dollars and cents or in drugs seizures and property recovered.
“For victims of crime, for people in the community to know that their cases were cleared, that arrests were made, I think really speaks to the value of the program even more than talking about the monetary aspect.”
Regina Crime Stoppers also provided a statistical breakdown of the types of crimes they received tips about in 2023. According to those numbers, 25 per cent were drug-related crimes, another 25 per cent were property-related crimes such as theft, mischief, break and enter, and so on.
20 per cent of the tips were regarding violent crimes, 15 per cent were regarding to wanted criminals, eight per cent were traffic-related offences such as impaired driving or driving without a license, and seven per cent were in the “other” category which could include tips about missing persons, suspicious vehicles, and so on.
According to stats since the program began in 1984, Crime Stoppers has received 26,177 tips, with 2,329 arrests made, 4,216 cases cleared and 1,958 charges laid. A total of $12,200,274 in property, cash and drugs has been recovered since that time.
As for the rewards that are offered for anonymous tips, in 2023 there were 25 rewards approved for a total of $6,375, but only nine ended up being claimed and paid out, leaving about half of the rewards money unclaimed.
Those offering tips are encouraged to follow up to see if they are eligible for a reward by calling the 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) line, or they can check online at P3TIPS.com.
Regina Crime Stoppers helps solve crimes through receiving anonymous tips from the public, and has gotten its message out through promotional videos seen regularly on television. There are plans to do more of that this year. At the announcement Thursday, Mayor Sandra Masters showed off a sticker being placed on police vehicles this month showing the number to people can call to submit tips at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by going to P3TIPS.com.
Over the years Crime Stoppers has expanded beyond accepting tips solely by phone. Anonymous tips can now be accepted through the free P3 app in the Apple or Android store, or through their website at www.reginacrimestoppers.ca.
As for some changes for the program in 2024, one will be developing the relationship with the new Police Chief Farooq Hassan Sheikh, and they also want to focus on community outreach by getting in to the schools more and in reaching more new Canadians.
“I think the goal of our community outreach for 2024 is just to get the word out there, try and increase the tips, and just create awareness of our program,” said Cory Little, Regina Crime Stoppers vice-president of finance.
Davies said the primary benefit of Crime Stoppers is community safety. “Really, it’s the eyes and ears of the community all working together. So that trust in crime stoppers trust in the Regina Police Service is key, and to me the fact that there were over 700 tips throughout the year speaks highly to the relationship between the police, Crime Stoppers and the public.”
