Crime Stoppers was started in Albuquerque, New Mexico when a Canadian-born Albuquerque Police Department detective reached a dead-end in a homicide investigation. Frustrated by the lack of clues, he appealed to a local television station and enlisted the station’s co-operation in a re-enactment of the crime. The re-enactment was televised on a local newscast.
The detective offered a reward out of his own pocket and a caller contacted the police the next day after seeing the re-enactment. The tip information was enough to lead police to the two men who were responsible. Within 72 hours of the re-enactment being aired, the police had solved the murder. This was the beginning of Crime Stoppers. So successful was this first effort, the program was continued and expanded. The Crime Stoppers program has enjoyed great worldwide success boasting hundreds of thousands of crimes being solved and billions in stolen property and narcotics has been seized. Today, there are over 1,400 Crime Stoppers programs in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Bahamas, and other nations.
In Edmonton and Northern Alberta, the Crime Stoppers program was introduced by a local business owner. His daughter had been assaulted and the police had no leads even though the attack happened during broad daylight. He went to the Chief of Police to ask if there was any way that he could help, and the Chief told him of the Crime Stoppers program. Along with the support of the police and media, this business man gathered other community stakeholders and founded Crime Stoppers in Edmonton and Northern Alberta in 1982. In the early years, Crime Stoppers had many successes and enjoyed much community support for the program. Crime Stoppers Telethons were held annually to raise funds for the community-driven program. Every year, hundreds of tips would be reported and many crimes were solved.