There is "no risk" to the public in contacting the world-first 24/7 NSW Crime Stoppers call centre in a secret location in northern NSW, its chief executive officer (CEO) Peter Price OAM AM is telling Dubbo residents.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
At the Regional Australia Bank Dubbo Show on Friday he said people who called 1800 333 000 helped solve crimes and made communities safer.
"There's no risk in calling because we don't know who you are and what we do is give you a pin number ...and we say call back in six weeks," Mr Price said.
"Then we will tell you if the information you have provided has actually been useful. If it has led to an arrest we may be interested in paying you a reward."
READ ALSO:
NSW Crime Stoppers' 30th anniversary brought Mr Price to the city where he presented certificates to Dubbo Regional Mayor Ben Shields and Acting Superintendent of the Orana-Mid Western Police District Keith Ridley, acknowledging community and police support.
The public was treated to free coffee and cake, and a close-up look at police vehicles.
Mr Price said Dubbo was one of four locations chosen for "community engagement events" surrounding the anniversary because of the "great co-operation" between NSW Crime Stoppers and the Orana-Mid Western Police District.
Cr Shields said NSW Crime Stoppers did "vitally important" work.
"On behalf of the Dubbo community thank you for what you do.. every day," he said.
The mayor also thanked police in Dubbo calling them the "best of the best".
Acting Superintendent Ridley thanked the community for getting behind the work of NSW Police and Crime Stoppers.
"Our officers see the impact of crime on the community on a daily basis and we want the public to continue to help us disrupt and prevent illegal activity so we can achieve more positive outcomes," he said.
"We know that a whole-of-community approach is necessary to effectively tackle criminal behaviour, which is why it is so important to recognise achievements from the past 30 years.
"Never underestimate the important role you can play in helping police arrest those involved in criminal activity.
"Your phone call could be this missing piece of the puzzle that is essential in solving a crime."
Acting Inspector Ridley urged the community to not only report crime "in our towns but out in the rural landscape" where livestock and machinery theft occurred.
NSW Crime Stoppers forms part of a global network which helps solve a crime every 14 minutes around the world.
The NSW organisation is contacted every six minutes, with information leading to an average of four arrests per day.
In the past 20 years, the number of times the public has made contact with NSW Crime Stoppers has risen from 150 to almost 8000 per month.
NSW Crime Stoppers has been acknowledged for a number of world-first innovations including providing the public with the opportunity to report crimes or suspicious activities online or on mobile phones, and developing and implementing a defensive cybercrime strategy through public education.
It was the first Crime Stoppers in Australia to take information on domestic violence.
The 24/7 call centre is manned by up to 400 people at any one time.
They answer calls to NSW Crime Stoppers, triple zero and the Police Assistance Line.
