Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington came away with six awards at the first Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers conference since 2019.
The meeting held in Guelph was themed “Back to Basics” in reference to the focus on training for volunteers and staff as well as the Annual General Meeting.
Guelph Wellington Chair Deryck West said the opportunity to host other Crime Stoppers programs was welcomed by the local board of directors.
“We always preferred the in-person experience and when the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers said they wanted to get back to that model, we were entirely onboard,” said West in a news release. “It was a great opportunity to connect and get back on track, which is where the ... theme came from.”
Success at the prize table in front of the hometown crowd was also welcome by the locals. Guelph Wellington won for:
Best Print Feature (100,001-299,999 population) for the HTinWC billboard on Highway 6 south of Mount Forest/Township of Wellington North. The bright blue billboard was an eyecatching reminder that human trafficking happens in rural communities. The three partner agencies, Wellington County OPP, Victim Services Wellington and CSGW received funding from the Ministry of the Solicitor General to increase awareness of this crime throughout the County of Wellington and this billboard was one element of the campaign.
Best Video Feature (100,001-299,999 population) for #HTinWC – Her Story, in partnership with Tivoli Films of Elora. This video was developed by drawing upon victim experience and illustrated how a victim of human trafficking could be targeted. It also demonstrated how police and Crime Stoppers could be utilized to stop this crime and highlighted the various supports available through Victim Services. The video can be viewed and shared on the CSGW YouTube channel.
Best Radio Feature (100,001-299,999 population) in partnership with The Grand at 101 for Swap Talk. The February 2022 episode was submitted and featured the stats from Crime Stoppers month in January 2022, as well as the Cornerstone Award winner and thanking 2 supporters within the community. It also highlighted the various presentations CSGW offers and tied Safer Internet Day with the opportunity to conduct a “Screen Check” on youth cell phones and other devices.
Special Project (100,001-299,999 population) The #HTinWC, Her Story animated video was submitted in the Special Project category for its ability to engage the community. The video was made possible through funding from the Ministry of the Solicitor General. Grant partners included Wellington County OPP, Victim Services Wellington and CSGW.
Online Excellence (Open Class), an award is open to programs of all sizes throughout Ontario. It recognizes excellence in communication on digital channels such as social media and website. CSGW has active engagement on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. The CSGW website www.csgw.tips is also the hub of information about the program and is frequently referenced when asking for tips from the community.
Marla Moon Memorial Award of Excellence (100,001-299,999) - This is the eighth year in a row that CSGW has taken this prestigious honour. This award goes to the program that demonstrates active engagement in all areas of Crime Stoppers, specifically media, police, community. It looks at volunteer hours, community engagement with information and Tip taking as well as initiatives the program develops. No other program has won this award eight years straight.
Program Coordinator Sarah Bowers-Peter said the opportunity to receive these awards at home was a special experience.
“We are always so appreciative of any recognition we get for the program,” said Bowers-Peter, “but having six awards given to us the same year we host the OACS conference – in our own community - is remarkable. We thank all our partners – our investigative partners, our media partners, the community organizations and local businesses who help with our success. Most importantly, we thank our volunteers and ultimately our tipsters, who are the reason we do what we do.”
