Police have made 54 arrests, seized 32 weapons and recovered more than $2 million in property and illicit drugs with help from anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers.
The organization received 4,741 tips in 2021, including 215 tips related to gang activity and 403 tips related to illegal guns, according to its annual impact report published this week.
“Collectively, these anonymous tips led to arrests and the recovery of property, guns and illegal drugs, all of which might never have happened otherwise,” Linda Annis, Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers director, said in a news release.
“With the spike last year in gang-related activity in the Lower Mainland, plus a recent trend toward crimes like robbery and vandalism, Crime Stoppers is urging local residents to continue submitting information anonymously to help police investigate, make more arrests and even save lives.”
In 2021, tips contributed to the seizure of $2.29 million in drugs and property, including eight vehicles.
Ninety-six charges were laid against suspects in relation to all tips received and 12 were laid in relation to tips about gangs activity.
Crime Stoppers is a non-profit organization and registered charity that offers rewards for anonymous tips about criminal activity and relays that information to local police services.
The number of tips reported to Crime Stoppers decreased slightly in 2021 from 2020, which saw 5,017 tips submitted altogether.
Since 2017, tips to the organization have helped police recover more than $23 million in drugs and property.