About

Crime Stoppers is the nation’s most trusted information receiving service for people wanting to share what they know about unsolved crimes and suspicious activity without saying who they are.

Crime Stoppers in Australia was first established in 1987. Today Crime Stoppers Australia is an independent not-for-profit registered charity representing the collective eight Crime Stopper organisations operating in every state and territory.

We work closely with police, media and the community to help solve, reduce and prevent crime by collecting information and passing on those details to police and other law enforcement agencies to help keep communities and families safe.

Our efforts encourage people to share what they know, especially for cross-border crimes such as illicit drug manufacture, importation and distribution, wanted fugitives and illegal firearms.

Our Goals

Crime Stoppers Australia is committed to achieving a safe, empowered and engaged community.

We work hard to provide people with opportunity to share information about unsolved crimes and suspicious activity.

You don’t have to leave your personal details, your call isn’t traced and, if making an online report, your IP address isn’t recorded.

How You’ve Helped

Your calls and online reports have helped to identify drug labs and dealers, catch wanted fugitives, solve arsons, thefts and robberies, and apprehend criminals wanted for violent assaults and murders.

One missing piece of the puzzle is all it takes to make a real difference, so if you see something or hear something – then say something.

Our Community Impact

An independently prepared Community Impact Report shows 82% of all Australians feel safer knowing Crime Stoppers is in place across the country. The research also finds that 81% of Australians believe the option to not say who they are when contacting us is incredibly important.

These results underline the substantial value Crime Stoppers offers in helping to solve some of the most horrific and baffling crimes and reinforces how people can make a difference by sharing what they know. The economic value of Crime Stoppers to Australia is estimated as $170m, with an additional $66m in added value from drugs being seized, property returned, and crimes being prevented.

Every dollar invested in Crime Stoppers delivers an outstanding economic return of $11.15.

That’s a great result for the 77% of Australians who actively want to help prevent crimes – and reinforces that Crime Stoppers operates in a way that encourages people to speak up.

Our international network

Crime Stoppers Australia is a key member of the 1200 programs that operate in more than 20 countries as part of the Crime Stoppers International network.

Two representatives from the Crime Stoppers Australia Board are nominated as members of the Board of Directors of Crime Stoppers International, which has its global headquarters in the Netherlands.

Transnational criminal markets criss-cross the planet, conveying drugs, arms, trafficked women and children, toxic waste, stolen natural resources or protected animals’ parts.

Hundreds of billions of dollars of dirty money flows around the world every year, distorting local economies, corrupting institutions and fuelling conflict. Transnational organised crime has become a central issue in international affairs, an important factor in the global economy, and an immediate reality for people around the world.

Given this interconnectivity, CSI principal areas of focus are international fugitives, illicit trade, human trafficking, environmental and wildlife crime and cybercrime.

Every 14 minutes a crime is solved somewhere in the world as a direct result of Crime Stoppers.


How it all began

In 1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a detective was frustrated by a lack of progress for an investigation into the shooting murder of a young college student during a service station robbery.

With a lack of witnesses, a re-enactment of the murder was shown on the local TV station and people with information were promised anonymity and the possibility of a cash reward if the information led to an arrest.

That appeal saw a person come forward who had seen a car driving off and reported that it belonged to a resident in a nearby apartment complex. Acting on that information, two men were arrested and charged with the murder and a string of other armed robberies less than 72 hours later.