‘To endure’: Local Crime Stoppers urgently need support

The Crime Stoppers of Simcoe Dufferin Muskoka (CSSDM) is in danger after five decades of serving the community.

Tom Young, the organisation’s chief executive, says there are less than eight months left to survive on the funds in the bank.

The agency provides a way for people to report crimes anonymously and offers the opportunity to be rewarded for tips.

“This is not a government program, it’s not a police program,” Young explained. “This is a privately run program.”

Young said proudly that CSSDM has received 74,589 tips since its inception in 1987, leading to the arrest of 5,305 people, the resolution of 7,388 cases and the seizure of $81,852,233 worth of drugs.

It costs CSSDM approximately $60,000 each year to run the program, and they rely strictly on fundraising and funding from municipalities.

“That’s decreasing,” Young said. “Musoka District gives us $10,000 every year and they have been giving us for a while, but other municipalities don’t give us anything.”

CSSDM is partially funded by Barrie city police, but the police force said they no longer have the budget for assistance, Young said.

“I don’t want to see this program go under,” he said. “If someone doesn’t help us, we’re going to go bankrupt.”

Young says if each county CSSDM serves could provide $10,000, they could spend more of their time educating the public on how Crime Stoppers works.

Without Crime Stoppers, the impact on every community would be “huge,” Young says.

“If you wanted to report a crime you had to phone the police,” he explained. “There are a lot of people who don’t want to do it because they’re worried about their safety, or being called a rat, or whatever.”

Young says CSSDM provides a way for the public to report a crime without any strings attached.

“If someone is a little wary about whether their name should be released, they might not call,” he said. “Our program is not a police program, it’s completely private, and people have a little more confidence in calling our line.”

Young says without Crime Stoppers, Simcoe County will become more dangerous.

“If you listen to the news, they say whenever something happens, call the police or Crime Stoppers,” he explained. “Well, it won’t happen in Simcoe, it won’t happen in Dufferin, it won’t happen in Muskoka.”

Young encourages members of the public, local governments and police unions to get involved in fundraising efforts. To connect with CSSDM, find them on Facebook Here.

“The urgency is here,” he said. “I’m not kidding, this is going to be over in the next eight months unless someone makes us some money.”