Nearly across the board, statistics are up for Crime Stoppers of Simcoe-Dufferin-Muskoka.
For one thing, there were 2,391 tips received in 2017 compared with 1,802 in 2016.
OPP Barrie officer Leslie Woodley stepped into the role of the program's police coordinator in June.
The nearly 20-year veteran calls the position an 'exciting change.'
"It's all anonymous. For me, I get a lot of enjoyment out it. I can't share it with anyone but it's very rewarding to see crimes being posted through social media and the media. Sometimes the same day, within the hour, you have the information you need to help solve the crime," said Woodley, who, like her predecessor Const. Chris Lewis, works doggedly on social media platforms.
"We're close to triple the Facebook followers and occasionally when I do a post, depending on the content of the post, I've reached over 50,000 people and we don't even have 600 followers at this point. We're trying to always ask everyone to follow the social media to stay up on local crimes."
And it pays off.
The number of arrests jumped from 165 in 2016 to 281 in 2017 and charges laid also skyrocketed from 389 to 796 year to year.
Drug seizures arising from tips exceeded $5.5 million, up from $927,000 in 2016.
"Sometimes you may only get one tip that is the only puzzle piece that was ever received and it solves a crime. It only takes one sometimes," explains Woodley.
"Someone may think it's a very tiny piece of information. It's not important. It may not be important to them at the time and it may not be important on the day that it's reported. It can be used five years from now, a year from now, ten years from now. It's always available. It's evidence gathering for today, tomorrow, the future."
A flag-raising celebrating January as Crime Stoppers month was held at city hall Tuesday with Mayor Lehman and guests.
The Mayor praised the program and read a proclamation declaring Crime Stoppers month in Barrie.
Woodley is posting for Barrie Police, South Simcoe Police, Shelburne Police, Midland Police, Orangeville Police, Rama Police, anything on Christian Island, the OPP for all the detachments in the area.
She also re-posts a lot of media posts, community events and fun things too.
There was $28,355 in rewards approved in 2017 compared with $22,470 in 2016.
As she reflects on the statistics, it's the amount of public information that is most rewarding for Woodley.
"For me I think it's the actual amount of tips, the increase in tips. We do have some outstanding other numbers, like the amount of property and drugs seized, which is all great. But if you're not getting an increase in tips then you're not going to get those types of results. So for me I would like the tips to keep increasing. As long as the tips are increasing I know people are engaged, participating in the program and trying to help solve crime," she said.
The community can be crime fighters but Woodley believes it's a team effort with the community, the police and the media.
"We work with the police, with the media and with the community. We're not a police program. It's a volunteer not for profit and we all have to work together. We all live in these communities and we all need to work together to make it safer."
Crime Stoppers is always looking for volunteers. Call 705-726-2237 or email [email protected] for more information.
