Crime tips surge after Charlottetown Police go online
Website helps officers solve dozens more crimes
Charlottetown Police say their website has become an invaluable tool in crime fighting, as it brings in dozens of tips they wouldn’t otherwise receive.
Police launched the site four years ago, which lists details of incidents and suspects they’re investigating.
Since then, the videos have been viewed over 500,000 times.
“We probably solve about 85 per cent of what we put there,” said Const. Randy Currie, who runs the website. He said police wouldn’t receive any tips before they went online.
The tips are managed by P.E.I. Crimestoppers, and Currie said they can come in within minutes of something being posted.
Before 2010, Crimestoppers received about 150 tips a year, not that’s more than doubled.
Currie said there have even been cases where people turn themselves in because they don't want to be on the police website.
“From a police perspective, it’s another tool,” he said.
The website helps bring attention to crimes but Currie said money is still the motivator. Crimestoppers pays from between $100 and $500 for most tips.