Welcome to Crime Stoppers

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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.