Cuffs for Crime at Macs. Only until the end of September

An agency which helps put a halt to lawlessness in Sault Ste. Marie needs your help.

Crime Stoppers acts as a facilitator between anonymous tipsters and local law enforcement.

Phoned in tips have led to over 2000 arrests since the non-profit group opened up shop in 1985 and now they're calling on Sault area residents for assistance. 

"The organization relies solely on the generosity of the public," said Constable Alison Kirkpatrick, Crime Stoppers coordinator.

"Without the communities help we wouldn't have money to fund our program and pay out rewards."

On Monday afternoon at Mac's Convenient Store on McNabb Street, Crime Stoppers launched their first ever Cuffs for Crime initiative seeking donations from the public.

All 10 Mac's locations in town will be asking their customers to donate $1 to the Crime Stoppers program and customers who give support will receive a Cuffs for Crime pledge card. 

Donators can write their name on the pledge cards that will be displayed on the walls and windows of local stores.

People can also donate online (www.saultcrimestoppers.com) or by contacting Kendra Addison, Office Administrator, at 705-949-6300, ext.211.

Tipsters can call Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-8477) with inside information and if their hints lead to an arrest, a cash bonus is doled out.

The size of the bounty is determined by the their board of directors.

Thanks to a recent burst of rewards, the non-profit organization is seeking additional funding for their prize system.

As of March, Crime Stoppers has helped clear 3973 local cases, tips have led to 2254 arrests and $337,768 in rewards has been paid out in the past 27 years.

Anonymous tipsters have also helped lead to $3,440,703 in property value and $6,446,032 worth of narcotics recovered by local police.

"Crime Stoppers is in a unique position," said Addison. "We cannot advertise our successes by telling the stories of crimes we have solved except in general terms in order to avoid inadvertently putting a tipster at risk as they might be the only person who could have known the specific facts divulged in the tip."

Forging a partnership between Mac's Convenience Stores and Crime Stoppers makes sense to one local store owner who feels the pairing up could lead to less robberies at their stores.

"When people see the visual effect of the pledge cards I think it will make a difference," said Harjit Virk, owner of the Mac's on Second Line, who feels the cards could deter potential burglars. 

"We also have a lot of customers coming in and out of our stores who can donate and show their support."

The Cuffs for Crime program will run from August until the end of September.