Media Releases

The phones were ringing hot and web reports steadily streaming in throughout September, with nearly 2000 contacts received by people wanting to do their bit for a safer community.

Information was fairly wide-ranging throughout the month, with 22 people apprehended by police for an array of crimes as a direct result. Three firearms were also located and taken off the street.

People provided information on a number of unsolved serious crimes, including the murder of Colleen Adams, Rhianna Barreau, and grandmother Kathleen Durdin, as well as the disappearance and presumed murder of Michael Modesti and Susan Goodwin.

During September our weekly crime segment on 9 News Adelaide profiled three of SA’s most wanted men. Stuart Pearce remains a suspect in the murder of his wife and three of his children at Parafield Gardens in 1991 and hasn’t been seen since the victims’ bodies were found in the burnt-out home. Jonathon Simmons is still on the run and suspected of committing deception offences worth more than $50,000, while Glen Rajkovic is wanted for manufacturing and possessing illegal drugs and breaching bail.

We also profiled the unsolved shooting murder of Bora Altintas at Brompton in 1998, and called for help to identify a man caught on CCTV at a Brooklyn Park laundromat, where he committed a sexually assault.

You can watch these and other weekly crime segments at our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/SIBSACrimeStoppers

During September:

• More than 1400 telephone calls and 300 web reports were received – with 45 of those specifically relating to firearms;
• A total of 838 intelligence reports were raised;
• 767 actions were issued for investigation;
• More than 9,100 people visited the Crime Stoppers SA website, resulting in 25,600 page views;
• 24 cannabis plants, 13kg of dried cannabis and 10g of Amphet-Meth was located;
• 13 males and 3 females were charged with a range of serious offences.

If you have any information about criminal activity and unsolved crimes, then don’t forget that you can 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.

As the rollout of Dob in a Dealer continues across South Australia, we thought it might be useful to share with you some information that might help spot a drug lab nearby.

Ice labs have been found right across South Australia in factories, backyard sheds, rural properties, apartments, family homes, hotel rooms – even inside caravans and tents in the bush. But what are the tell-tale signs you should you be looking for?

While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to where criminals manufacture Ice, there are often a number of signs of a drug house that you can look out for, and include:

Strange odours

The drug manufacturing process involves mixing, breaking down or changing the structure of precursor substances using other chemicals and heat sources, and this creates unusual odours. In particular, there is often a strong acetone smell produced from Ice labs.

Chemical containers and waste

Clandestine drug laboratories create a lot of toxic waste, and it’s often stored onsite in buckets or dumped nearby. That’s not to mention the chemical storage containers often found discarded in or around lab sites, including a backyard.

Blacked out windows

Drug manufacturers will often cover or black out the windows, either with window coverings or foil, to hide their illicit activity from the neighbours.

Hoses and pipes in strange places

Many drug manufacturers will use household items to make their drugs, including hoses, pipes and containers bought from hardware stores. An excess of these types of items around a property could be a sign of illicit activity taking place.

Vehicles coming and going at odd hours

Criminals don’t work just during business hours. The drug manufacturing process requires regular checking, so it’s not uncommon for those involved in the manufacture of Ice to come and go at all times of the day and night. Unusual vehicle movements could also be a sign of drug supply occurring at a property.

If you suspect that a property is being used to manufacture Ice, you can report it to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make an online report at crimestopperssa.com.au  Rewards are available and you can remain anonymous

Your information can make a difference.

And don’t forget – Dob in a Dealer isn’t just focused on Ice. All drug makers and dealers are in the spotlight.

Pic credit: SA Police

At its 39^th annual conference, Crime Stoppers International announced our very own Crime Stoppers SA Chair, Sharon Hanlon, as the new global President of Crime Stoppers.

In the 40 years since Crime Stoppers began, this is the first time a woman has served as President.

With more than two decades executive experience, Ms Hanlon brings a unique and diverse perspective to the CSI leadership role. She has led large-scale projects for government agencies and the private sector, and has a proven track record for contributing to cultural change, business strategy and corporate planning.

Ms Hanlon is well-versed in corporate governance thanks to her experience serving as the director for a number of public and private sector boards.

She has also served in several Crime Stoppers leadership roles during the last decade and in addition to be the current Chair of Crime Stoppers South Australia, Deputy Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia, and has been a CSI Director for the last two and a half years.

Limestone Coast residents are being asked to help Crime Stoppers South Australia and SA Police to disrupt the manufacture and supply of drugs by reporting anything they know about drug-dealing offences happening within their local community.

The Dob in a Dealer campaign is a nation-wide program funded by the Federal Government to stop Australia’s supply chain of illicit drugs including methylamphetamine (ice), cocaine, MDMA, heroin and cannabis.

Crime Stoppers South Australia Chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said “Drug dealers are often hiding in plain sight within regional communities, with some people finding it easier to turn a blind eye and not speak out for fear of retaliation – but anonymously contacting Crime Stoppers offers a solution.”

“In South Australia, the last Dob in a Dealer campaign which ran from February 2016 to March 2017 saw more than 240 reports made concerning drug related activity, which contributed to a number of arrests and reports and provided police with numerous strong investigative leads that saw the seizure of an array of drugs, firearms and stolen property,” she said.

“Because regional communities are close-knit, people tend to know who is selling drugs to their family, friends and colleagues. They might feel powerless when it comes to doing something about it or think it’s up to someone else, but let’s not kid ourselves about the damage that drug dealers continue to cause. Sitting back and watching dealers destroy the lives of the people you care about should not be an option. We need people to make a difference by contacting Crime Stoppers and sharing what they know.”

Ms Hanlon said the Limestone Coast component of the campaign includes distribution of flyers across the region, advertising in local media, and direct engagement with the community.

“Through Dob in a Dealer, we’re not asking you to dob in your mates. We’re asking you to be a mate and look after the welfare of those you care most about by reporting to Crime Stoppers anything you have seen or heard that could relate to the import, manufacture or supply of any illicit drug.”

“Crime Stoppers is a safe, trusted link between the community and police. We don’t need to know who someone is, just what they know. Even if someone has little more than a suspicion that still might be the piece of the puzzle that can make all the difference – so our message is for people to make the call and choose to stay anonymous,” she said.

If you have any information about someone who is manufacturing or dealing drugs, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au. You can remain anonymous.

Innovative crime-solving tactics and community safety initiatives have seen Crime Stoppers South Australia receive global accolades, after it was announced as the winner of three major categories in the prestigious 2018 Crime Stoppers International awards.

Crime Stoppers SA won the trio of awards for its efforts to help solve the cold case murder of Port Lincoln woman, Susan Goodwin, the unsolved murder of Martin Meffert, and a personal safety campaign for people enjoying the end-of-year party period.

Crime Stoppers SA chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said the award wins reinforce the very real contribution that the independent not-for-profit makes to the safety of South Australians, and its ability to develop and implement world-leading campaigns despite limited financial resources.

“Year on year our campaigns and community engagement activities continue to be recognised on the global stage. Our challenge is to now achieve similar recognition for our efforts on a local level and reinforce that the Crime Stoppers SA program needs financial support if it is to continue to make a real difference in solving crime and helping police keep a check on criminals,” she said.

“While discussions continue to try and address the fact that Crime Stoppers SA has never received financial support from State Government for its day-to-day operations or its rewards scheme, our hope is that South Australian businesses recognise the value we contribute and will get behind our efforts – which last year alone saw nearly 19,500 calls received from people wanting to share information, resulting in 911 apprehensions.”

The winning categories for Crime Stoppers SA were:

Best Specialised Program – Susan Goodwin murder investigation

The presumed murder and disappearance of Port Lincoln woman Susan Goodwin in 2002 remains unsolved. Police partnered with Crime Stoppers SA in May 2017 to develop Operation Lincoln to re-engage the regional community, encourage new leads into the mysterious disappearance and put pressure on those involved to come forward.

Highly-visible posters were distributed in public areas where she was last seen, promoting a $200,000 reward for information about her death or the recovery of her remains. Five patrol cars were turned into ‘mobile billboards’ to highlight the case, along with the distribution of coasters to local venues and during random breath testing and other routine traffic operations. A campaign launch attracted a large media contingent – achieving widespread media coverage across TV, radio, print and online.

As a result of information provided via Crime Stoppers, investigators are confident the killer still resides in Port Lincoln and believe Ms Goodwin’s body was disposed of within a 30km radius of the town. They now also believe that while her murder may not have been planned, there was more than one person involved, most likely in disposing of her body.

Perhaps the greatest breakthrough was the discounting of persons of interest from the investigation, which further narrows the number of persons being investigated.

Best Public Service Announcement – Festive season personal safety campaign

While the festive season is a typically a time when people enjoy increased socialisation within the community, it’s also a period which can lead to increased alcohol-fuelled violence, careless/reckless behaviour, risk taking and poor decision-making, which puts people in harm’s way.

As part of its ongoing community education and crime prevention activity, Crime Stoppers South Australia paired up with its major program partners – SA Police, 9 News Adelaide and Police Credit Union – to develop an online engagement campaign that integrated traditional media components of PR, media coverage and TV advertising. The multi-faceted campaign targeted a young demographic and used simple messaging across traditional and online mediums to engage more than 12,000 younger people.

Best Crime of the Week – Martin Meffert cold case murder

The murder of Martin Meffert had remained one of SA’s most bizarre unsolved cold cases. His partial remains were found in 2013, with a man and a woman allegedly stealing $136,000 from his bank account after his death. To encourage people to come forward with information, Crime Stoppers South Australia partnered with SA Police to develop a campaign to raise the profile of the investigation and renew calls for information.

A special poster and suite of digital assets were launched in September 2017, promoting a reward of up to $200,000 for anyone providing information leading to the apprehension and conviction of a person for Mr Meffert’s suspected murder, or for the recovery of his remains. As a key part of the media engagement strategy, Major Crime investigators conducted a fresh series of doorknocks and distributed the campaign posters within the local community. A media conference was also conducted, with the poster and materials on display and placed in highly-visible public locations.

A number of calls were received by Crime Stoppers, with a man subsequently charged with murder and now awaiting court. Crime Stoppers SA has previously been recognised for its innovative efforts to engage the community, winning three categories in the 2017 Crime Stoppers International media awards and two categories in the 2016 awards for its efforts to solve cold case murders and community safety campaigns.

About the CSI Awards

The Crime Stoppers International award program recognises leading individuals, programs, activities and campaigns from around the world for excellence and for their contribution to the achievement of the Crime Stoppers International vision – to help stop, solve and prevent crime globally. This year’s Award winners were announced at an Awards Presentation Ceremony, held in conjunction with the 2018 Crime Stoppers International Annual Conference at The Hague, Netherlands, in front of an international audience of Crime Stoppers delegates and distinguished guests.