Media Releases

Crime Stoppers SA says a decision to not allocate any budget to support the independent crime reporting and prevention program in South Australia will not dampen its resolve to keep advocating for state government funding.

The decision comes less than 48 hours after the release of latest wastewater test results by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission that shows Adelaide as having the highest concentration of methamphetamine in the nation.

Crime Stoppers SA Chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon said: “We have been in ongoing discussion with the Minister for Police and his advisors to try and address the fact that South Australia is the only state to not receive any state government support.”

“We had been advised that a budget bid had been put forward to Treasury, so it is naturally disappointing to see nothing allocated once again. What this does is strengthen our resolve to keep engaging the business community to help fund our operations, as we have done for more than 20 years,” Ms Hanlon said.

“We understand that the State Government is under pressure to accommodate a major GST shortfall in its budget and has already announced cuts to services and tax increases. We will need to curb or delay a number of earmarked crime-solving and prevention activities in response – including plans to better engage with non-English speaking communities and tackle country crime,” she said.

In 2018, Crime Stoppers was advised that the Marshall Liberal Government was reconsidering a $960,000 funding commitment pledged by the then Labor Government. This was followed by the September 2018 budget, which did not have any allocation to the independent not-for-profit.

Earlier this year, Crime Stoppers launched a Go Fund Me page to help fight country crime, with limited community uptake experienced because of uncertainty surrounding local economic conditions.

“We greatly appreciate the in-kind support of SA Police, Channel 9 as our media partner and support from Police Credit Union because it allows us to engage the community and offset some operational costs such as the 1800 333 000 hotline, website and our Rewards program, which has paid out nearly $250,000 since the program first started.”

Crime Stoppers has helped to solve more than 32,500 crimes and more than 21,000+ people have been apprehended since it first began in SA. An average of 25 crimes are solved every week as a direct result of information provided to Crime Stoppers, with one apprehension made for every seven calls received. On average nearly 1800 calls and 400 online reports are received every month.

2018 program results included more than 25,000 phone and web reports received during the year, resulting in 822 apprehensions. A total of 82 firearms were seized during the year, with information provided by the community also stopping an estimated 80,035 cannabis and 12,227 amphetamine street deals in South Australia.

An independent report commissioned by Crime Stoppers Australia in 2018 found the program remains Australia’s most recognised and pre-eminent information reporting service, delivering a return of $11.15 in additional value for every dollar invested. The report also found that 82% of people feel safer knowing the program is in place, and 62% said Crime Stoppers made it more likely they would report information.

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Contacts made to Crime Stoppers SA in April led to nearly 50 guns being taken out of the hands of criminals – one of the biggest monthly results ever experienced. In addition, replica firearms, ammunition, a pistol crossbow, knuckle dusters and other dangerous weapons were also confiscated.

Not to be outdone, our drug-related calls led to 69 plants and nearly 15kg of dried cannabis being seized, as well as a substantial amount of amphetamine, heroin and almost $30,000 cash located.

People reported information about an indecent assault at Blair Athol, a stolen dog from the city, a ram raid on a Salisbury Plains bike shop, home invasion at Unley and attempted kidnapping at West Beach.

Apprehensions included 34 men and 7 women charged with significant drug offences, weapons offences, and money laundering.

Our weekly crime segments on 9News Adelaide profiled CCTV vision of a man wanted for a home invasion at Elizabeth South where a credit card was stolen and later used, as well as a man caught on camera after assaulting a woman and robbing her at a city massage business. We also asked for help to identify a man wanted for a robbery at JR’s Surf and Ski in Rundle Mall and called for information on the death of Adrian Trett at Mannum in April 2018.

Watch these and other weekly crime segments at https://www.youtube.com/user/SIBSACrimeStoppers

If you have any information about criminal activity or an unsolved crime, then call our free hotline on 1800 333 000 or go to www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Rewards are available and you can remain anonymous.

To mark the 20-year milestone of having a Crime Stoppers program in every Australian State and Territory, an independent study has been released as part of National Crime Stoppers Day 2019 celebrations on Monday, 27^th May.

The Impact Report shows 82% of all Australians feel safer knowing the program is in place across the country. The research also finds that 81% of Australians believe the option to remain anonymous when contacting the trusted information reporting channel, is a major drawcard.

Crime Stoppers Australia Chair, Ms Diana Forrester says: “These results underline the significant value Crime Stoppers offers in collecting information which helps to solve some of the nation’s most horrific and baffling crimes. It reinforces that people can make a significant difference by anonymously sharing what they know.”

“Australia is a culturally-rich and diverse nation – with the 2016 Census showing nearly half (49%) of all Australians had either been born overseas or had one or both parents born overseas – and this report underlines that Crime Stoppers is for everyone in the community,” Ms Forrester said.

“We have seen the devastation crime can bring when a blind eye is turned – within Australia, in neighbouring countries and around the world. Someone might be reluctant to speak up because they fear retaliation, are wary of police, or want to avoid becoming involved in legal proceedings. Crime Stoppers offers a safe solution because people can stay anonymous and share what they know,” she said.

In 2018, Crime Stoppers programs across the nation received 319,861 contacts via the hotline, website and other means, resulting in 145,442 information reports being raised and passed to police. The information those reports contained directly led to 5,406 apprehensions and more than 15,580 charges being laid.

In South Australia, in 2018 a total of 21,431 calls and 3,927 online contacts led to 12,127 reports being taken and 10,561 actions issued for investigation. That saw 822 apprehensions and 1266 charges laid for a wide variety of crimes as well as 5 clandestine laboratories shut down and 8 firearms seized.

Crime Stoppers SA Chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said the independently-commission Impact Report estimates 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. That’s a great result for the 77% of Australians who actively want to help prevent crimes from happening – and reinforces that Crime Stoppers operates in a way that encourages, enables and supports community participation,” she said.

“For an organisation which prominently features a volunteer leadership base, these are great results thanks to the community, media outlets, our corporate and government program partners and our many volunteers.”

“As we celebrate Crime Stoppers Day 2019 we want people to know that everyone can play a part in making a safer community by sharing information about criminal activity with Crime Stoppers by calling our toll-free national hotline on 1800 333 000 or going to www.crimestoppers.com.au

 

Information provided to Crime Stoppers SA during March assisted in the seizure of a number of firearms and dangerous weapons. These were taken off the streets and out of the hands of criminals. The seizure consisted of ammunition, crossbows, knuckle dusters, slingshots, batons and tasers.

In addition to nearly 60 calls about firearms, we were contacted about a number of vandalism offences, a serious crash at McLaren Vale, a home invasion and an aggravated robbery.

Tip offs led to 65 apprehensions during the month, including 35 men and 6 women charged with a range of serious offences that included trafficking a controlled drug, firearms and weapons offences and possessing commercial quantities of meth-amphetamine.

Our weekly crime segments on 9News Adelaide asked for help to solve the cold case bashing murder of Peter Seaford in 1989, as well as a serious hit and run at Blakeview that left a 22-year old woman with serious injuries.

Watch these and other weekly crime segments at https://www.youtube.com/user/SIBSACrimeStoppers

Other March 2019 results included:

• 1974 calls and 391 online reports received;
• 1126 intelligence reports raised,
• 1016 actions issued for investigation;
• 88g of Amphetamine seized;
• 110 cannabis plants and 8.9kg of dried cannabis located;
• $47625 cash confiscated;
• 8,150 people visited the Crime Stoppers SA website, resulting in 24,608 page views;

If you have any information about criminal activity and unsolved crimes, then call our free hotline on 1800 333 000, go to crimestopperssa.com.au or download the free Report Suspicious Behaviour app for iOS and Android phones. 

Rewards are available and you can remain anonymous.