Thunder Bay District Crime Stoppers calls for public support

An organization that pays out rewards for tips that help solve crimes in the Thunder Bay area is asking for public support to keep operating.

Thunder Bay District Crime Stoppers is in need of financial donations, and more volunteers, said chair Solade Nicol.

"The money that we raised so far, it's not only to pay rent," Nicol said. "It goes towards the tips,  it goes towards the national call centre."

"We have to pay for our P3 program (an online web portal) and that one is in U.S. dollars," he said.

Nicol said Crime Stoppers raises funds through donations.

"It's all donation from public, from individuals and businesses," he said. "We don't have any support from the government, neither the federal, provincial, even local government, the municipality."

Nicol said the organization is also struggling with volunteers and there were just four volunteer board members running District Crime Stoppers.

"We need more volunteers to serve as board members," he said. "We need more fresh ideas into the program, so that's why we are appealing to everyone that have the opportunity, that have the time and they want to give back to the community."

"If they cannot serve as a board member, they can serve as a volunteers," Nicol said. "Whenever we have programs or activities, they can come out and give us a helping hand."

Nicol said Crime Stoppers has received support from the Thunder Bay Police Service Board in recent years. It has allowed Crime Stoppers to make use of its office space.

"If it was not for them, I don't know where we would have been today, because I'm to pay now to acquire an office space, and the rent is so exorbitant," he said. "We don't have that kind of money to pay. So they took us on board for the past four or five years."

Board chair Karen Machado said in a statement the board also provides an annual donation to Crime Stoppers, and will be looking into other ways to support the organization.

"Crime Stoppers provides a valuable service to our communities, assisting the Thunder Bay Police Service in solving thousands of cases, while allowing tipsters to remain anonymous," Machado stated. "By providing an anonymous platform for tips, Crime Stoppers benefits those who would otherwise be apprehensive in making a tip to help solve a crime."

Nicol said Thunder Bay District Crime Stoppers has been in operation for nearly 40 years. In that time, it has received more than 6,000 tips, which have contributed to more than 3,000 arrests.

Anyone looking to volunteer or support the organization can contact them via email.