Crime Stoppers was the brainchild of Canadian-born Greg MacAleese, a Detective with the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico. In 1976, MacAleese, had run out of leads in a homicide investigation in which a young gas station attendant was murdered for no reason other than to eliminate him as a witness. The suspects shot him twice with a sawed off shotgun before leaving the scene. To help find possible witnesses to this heinous crime, he produced the first crime re-enactment, which was aired on local television, and made available for radio and print media. Anyone providing information regarding this murder was to be eligible for a cash reward. Within hours of the broadcast, an individual called in valuable information that resulted in the arrest and conviction of two suspects who were sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.
The growth has been dramatic with Crime Stoppers programs implemented in more than 1,100 communities worldwide. In November 1982, Calgary became the first Canadian city to start the program, followed by Edmonton in 1983. Hamilton was the first city in Ontario to implement the program and there are currently over 90 programs across Canada with over 39 programs in Ontario.
Seaway Valley Crime Stoppers began in 1992, covering Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry and Akwesasne.
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