WINNIPEG -- Manitoba wasn’t just facing a serious health and crime scare. They were looking it straight in the eye.
In 2019, the province was in the middle of the methamphetamine crisis. To fight back, they formed the Manitoba Illicit Drug Task Force to create a plan to stop the flow of drugs into the province. The task force, which included local law enforcement representatives from the Winnipeg Police, Brandon Police, and the RCMP.
This was the first time the three Crime Stoppers programs have teamed up in a province-wide campaign, showing a commitment to pushing for safer communities across Manitoba. However, Paul Johnson, Chairperson for Winnipeg Crime Stoppers noted it surely won’t be the only time the groups work together. “The partnership acknowledged this meth crisis was not just a local crisis but a province wide issue effecting all of Manitoba. We were able to get a stronger message out by this partnership by joining forces.”
Crime Stoppers has worked with law enforcement agencies in Manitoba for over 35 years. During the long-running partnership, they’ve successfully removed $89 million in drugs in Winnipeg alone.
While the task force knew they needed information, they also knew people are often afraid or hesitant to come forward and speak up. To open communication with the communications and allow people to comfortably share information, one of the task force’s key initiatives was an anonymous tip phone line.
The task force quickly developed a program to open and manage a 24-hour phone line for this initiative, ensuring people always had the opportunity to anonymously submit information.
And as Johnson explained, Crime Stoppers’ reputation as a volunteer-run community organization gives the tip line an added level of trust and legitimacy. “As a community program, we are not bound by the rules law enforcement must follow to deal with confidential informants. We do not ask any questions which can identify a caller. Anonymity is the key to our success and of course, we can pay a cash incentive also anonymously.”
By guaranteeing anonymity, Crime Stoppers can get information that people are less likely to share with police out of fear of being identified. For an initiative like this, anonymity is clearly critical.
To help cover the cash incentives, the province agreed to provide $180,000 to fund the project. The funds would also cover advertising and marketing to promote the campaign, titled SoMETHingiswrong. The campaign kicked off in March and will run through May, with advertisements in busses, bus shelters, billboards, and online videos.
The task force has high hopes for the campaign and want to remind everyone that if they know something, they can call 1-800-222-8477 to make a difference in their communities. All across the province, law enforcement need our help to address this crisis.
