MORE than 500 anonymous tips about gang-related activities and illegal weapons were received by Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers last year, about a tenth of all tips received.
Collectively, they led to several arrests that might not have occurred without the tipsters’ information.
“With the spike in recent gang-related activity in the Lower Mainland, Crime Stoppers is urging local residents to keep providing anonymous tips with information that could help police investigate, make more arrests and save lives,” said Linda Annis, Executive Director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, on Tuesday.
Gang Activity / Illegal Weapons Tips Statistics – 2020
* Total gang activity / illegal guns tips in 2020: 510
* Number of tips related specifically to illegal guns: 401
* Number of arrests based on tips about gang or illegal gun activity: 21
* Number of charges laid: 34
* Number of illegal weapons seized: 17
“The new surge in gang crime in the past few weeks is reminiscent of a similar outbreak seen in the Lower Mainland several years ago,” said Annis. “At that time, Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers responded with a series of ‘Guns and Gangs’ ad campaigns. In all, these campaigns are credited with generating 2587 tips over the past five years, leading to the arrest of 15 gang members, 111 arrests for illegal weapons offences and 213 guns being seized.
Other 2020 Crime Stoppers Statistics
Year-end statistics for 2020 just published by Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers’ in its annual Impact Report show 5,017 tips were received for all categories of crime (compares closely with 5,137 tips received in 2019). Information from these tips led to 72 arrests and 135 charges laid in 2020.
In addition, more than $2.7 million in property and illicit drugs were seized last year including 16 vehicles. Since the inception of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers more than 35 years ago, more than 8,200 arrests have been made and half-a-billion dollars in property and drugs have been recovered.
