Crime Stoppers Grey Bruce is seeing consistent levels of crime in the region as it releases its first quarter report for 2023.
Chair Person for Crime Stoppers Grey Bruce Peter Reid says between Jan. 1 to March 31, they received 633 total tips, which includes from over the phone, online, by mobile and follow ups, and 168 new tips.
Crime Stoppers distributes tips to a number of regional police services including Grey Bruce OPP, South Bruce OPP, Saugeen Shores Police, and Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation Police.
Over the course of the first quarter, Crime Stoppers distributed 213 tips, with Grey Bruce OPP receiving 82, followed by South Bruce OPP at 41 tips. Owen Sound Police received 29 tips, Hanover Police had 22, Saugeen Shores Police was forwarded 21, West Grey Police had 12, and the OPP Anti Human Trafficking Coordination Unit had two.
Reid says compared to 2022, the statistics remain fairly consistent.
“Owen Sound tends to be, if you look at a focused municipality, it tends to be one of bigger draws on our services,” says Reid. “Owen Sound at 14 per cent, is the highest single draw.”
He adds they are seeing more tips particularly surrounding stolen property, which tends to go hand in hand with drug tips as well.
“The property ones are up a little bit and our property recovered is up a little bit over average and the drugs are up a bit as well,” says Reid.
Since Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce inception in 1987, they have received 18,000 tips, which has led to 1,767 arrests, 2,454 charges, 2,737 cases cleared, $4.6 million in property recovered, $50.1 million in narcotics recovered, and $287,000 in rewards approved.
Reid says Crime Stoppers is also gearing up for various fundraising events like its 31st Annual Golf Tournament on June 1 at the Saugeen Golf Club in Port Elgin, a summer-long 50/50 raffle, and its annual classic car tours.
Reid says this year they are hoping to raise around $50,000 for the charity organization, which go towards its operational costs.
“We don’t receive any funding from the federal government. The provincial government kicks us in a little bit of money to pay for our after hours service and that is all. The last few years we have approached the municipalities for some help with funding, and we are in the process of doing that again. So far the response from the municipalities has been quite well,” says Reid.