Halifax Regional Police has launched a tip line where people can submit information on gun-related crimes.
In a release, the police force said the tip line is confidential and monitored by an investigative team in the integrated criminal investigation division.
This comes after a spate of gun violence in recent months, including four homicides since the beginning of March.
“As community members, we are all feeling the impact of these violent incidents that have occurred,” said Halifax Regional Police chief Dan Kinsella in the release.
“We are exploring every avenue to progress these investigations, and we need help from the community. We hope that providing a more direct and confidential conduit to the investigative team will make people who have information more comfortable with sharing what they know.”
Underscoring the tragedy of gun violence in the Halifax region is the fact that children are also being affected.
Police continue to investigate the death of Lee-Marion Cain, an eight-year-old boy who was shot and killed in Dartmouth late last year, along with a recent shooting last month that left an 11-year-old girl with injuries.
In an interview, Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Const. John MacLeod, said these “significant incidents” have been “part of the consideration” in launching the tip line.
“Clearly, these are significant, tragic events in our community and they don’t go unnoticed,” he said. “We know it’s important to (the community) that we do everything we can to move these investigations forward.”
MacLeod said so far in 2022, there have been nine shootings in HRP jurisdictions. There were 47 in all of 2021, 21 in 2020, 10 in 2019 and 16 in 2016.
While people have always been able to contact the police with information, MacLeod said the new tip line will help streamline the process.
“We’re just trying to make it as easy as possible for people who may have information on gun violence to get it directly to investigators,” he said.
“We know there are other ways out there … but it’s one more way that we can make it available for people to come forward and provide information.”
Police say the tip line can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 902-490-5151. People can choose to leave an anonymous tip, or they can leave their name and contact number so an investigator can follow up with them.
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