The Board

Crime Stoppers was the brainchild of  Canadian-born Greg MacAleese, a Detective with the Albuquerque Police  Department in New Mexico. In 1976, Greg had run out of leads in a  homicide investigation and out of frustration had appealed to the public  for assistance. He went so far as to produce the first crime  re-enactment, which aired on local television, and was also made  available for radio and the press. Anyone providing information  regarding this murder was to be eligible for a cash reward.

Within  hours of the broadcast, an individual called in valuable information  that resulted in the arrest and conviction of two suspects who were  sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.

The  growth has been dramatic, with Crime Stoppers programs implemented in  more than 1,200 communities worldwide. In November 1982, Calgary became  the first Canadian city to start the program, followed by Hamilton in  1983. Hamilton was the first city in Ontario to implement the program  and there are currently over 112 programs across Canada with 38 programs  in Ontario.

In 1986 the Crime  Stoppers Program was started in Durham and became part of the Toronto  and Regional Crime Stoppers Boards (TRCSB) made up of Metro Toronto, Peel,  York and Durham. Each region had its own board with representation on  the TRCSB. In 1989 Durham Regional Crime Stoppers obtained its own Charter  and Not For Profit status and resigned from the Toronto and Region  Crime Stoppers Board.

In April of 1986, Chief of Police, Jon Jenkins, gathered a select group of civilians and created the not-for-profit organization. The primary goal of Durham Regional Crime Stoppers is to encourage the public to communicate criminal activity. The program shares those tips with the police for investigation while the tipster remains completely anonymous. Should a tip result in an arrest a monetary reward will be issued. 

Durham Regional Crime Stoppers would like to give thanks to the community for 35 years of continued support. This milestone is a direct result of donations from the public, corporate sponsors and funds raised from various charity events.

The endless outpouring of anonymous tips, dedication to reducing crime and facilitate justice make Durham Region a safer place to call home.  

Since inception, Durham Regional Crime Stoppers has received over 41,000 tips, resulting in 3,984 arrests, $7.5 million in property recovered, $83.4 million in drugs seized and over $625,000 awarded to tipsters for reporting these crimes. 

For 35 years, this program has been an outstanding success. This year, Durham Regional Crime Stoppers aims to continue keeping our neighborhoods safe by targeting human trafficking and drug related crimes. 

Remember, crime doesn’t pay but Crime Stoppers does