MOUNT FOREST – Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington (CSGW) has proclaimed September as CSGW Month.
The Crime Stoppers program was launched on Sept. 8, 1976 by Ontario-born detective Greg MacAleese, who was working as an investigator in Albuquerque, New Mexico during that time.
He created Crime Stoppers to solve an outstanding homicide involving a 20-year-old who was shot and killed.
The case was solved within 72 hours of launching the project due to community engagement.
“Celebrating Crime Stoppers in September is a logical opportunity to increase community safety,” CSGW board chair Dave Elloway states in a Sept. 1 press release.
“Because of Crime Stoppers we can provide vital information to investigators, one tip at a time, that helps prevent and solve crimes.”
Nationally Crime Stoppers Month is in January, but locally the CSGW board of directors felt it was important to recognize the program launch annually.
To celebrate, community organizations and leaders joined CSGW in raising its flag outside of the Mount Forest Archives and Museum on Sept. 12.
Grafos raising the CSGW flag with the help of McCabe. Photo by Georgia York
“The theme for this year is ‘Fostering Community Safety One Tip at a Time’,” CSGW program coordinator Sarah Bowers-Peter stated at the event.
“Our strength comes from our community engagement [and] from people who come forward anonymously and confidentially to provide that information that leads to a resolution of a crime.”
The theme aims to reinforce the need for individuals to take an active role in reporting crime.
“It’s amazing Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington has been in business for 37 years,” said Wellington North councillor Steve McCabe outside the museum.
He noted that in nearly four decades, CSGW has recovered $40 million worth of property, “which is a little over a million a year, which is fantastic.”
McCabe added, “A lot of people, myself included, think crime just happens in urban centres and even small towns like this, but it’s rural ….
“[Crime] doesn’t know any geography boundaries.”
Bowers-Peter and Elloway presented the idea to the Wellington North council on Sept. 8, in hopes to officially recognize September as Crime Stoppers Month in the Township of Wellington North.
“September made a lot more sense. If that’s the month that Crime Stoppers became active, and that’s when it solved its first crime [then] why would we not want to tie in with that legacy?” Bowers-Peter told council.
She explained the origins of the program as Elloway introduced the theme.
“We’re offering community safety and that’s something that we all, as individuals who preside in a society, we have rules and roles and responsibilities,” he said.
“It’s about creating avenues for accountability … and at the end of the day we have an avenue where it’s safe,” Elloway said.
Council ultimately passed the request and recognized September as CSGW Month.
A similar flag raising event was planned for Fergus on Sept. 16.
