National Crime Stoppers Month commemorated

Today, members of the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) Board joined law enforcement leaders and elected officials at an event to celebrate National Crime Stoppers Month and the success of Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers’ crime solving efforts.

The month kicked off with an annual recognition luncheon for elected officials and industry leaders featuring guest speaker Rick Barnum, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco (NCACT) who spoke about the harms to communities caused by contraband tobacco and the involvement of organized crime in the illegal trade.  Rick is the former Deputy Commissioner, Provincial Commander, Investigations and Organized Crime of the Ontario Provincial Police.

This is Crime Stoppers 37th year fighting crime in the Central Okanagan, and the organization continues to provide anonymous tips to the Kelowna Regional RCMP Detachment along with other agencies to help solve crime.  In keeping with the “Be a Crime Stopper” theme, 2024 Crime Stoppers campaigns will bring attention to the importance of community engagement, the problem of contraband tobacco and the dangers of energy theft.

“This month, we applaud the volunteers and staff that make Central Okanagan Crimestoppers a success because of their commitment and tireless pursuit of community safety," says Loyal Wooldridge, Chair of the RDCO Board. "For those who anonymously offer invaluable tips that assist in solving unsolved crimes - thank you for choosing bravery over comfort to make our communities safer and more resilient.”

Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers is a non-profit society which operates in partnership with the RDCO through a small staff and a volunteer board. Programs include an anonymous tip line, Most Wanted, Missing Persons and Unsolved Crimes among others. Through collaboration with law enforcement and local media, their work raises awareness about crime prevention and helps to apprehend known law offenders.

Crime Stoppers empowers residents to fight crime by submitting an anonymous tip by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or through an encrypted online form at crimestoppers.net. If a tip leads to an arrest, the individual may receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.