January has been proclaimed ‘Crime Stoppers Month’ in Canada, and the theme chosen for 2021 is “Helping All Communities Stay Safe”. In support, Crime Stoppers Canada, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and police services across Canada are launching a national awareness campaign that will run over several months to educate the public on the negative impact of methamphetamine and the threat it poses to the safety and well-being of our communities.
Under the auspices of RICCO (Canadian Integrated Response to Organized Crime), police services participating in this campaign will deploy various communication strategies to provide information to the public on methamphetamine production and methamphetamine prevalence in communities. Police departments will make every effort to encourage members of the public to report suspicious activity to their local police departments or to alert Crime Stoppers while maintaining anonymity.
Various Canadian law enforcement agencies have noted an increase in the use, trafficking, importation and production of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine has emerged as one of the most prominent commodities within organized crime, involved in production as well as importation and distribution. The production of one kilogram of methamphetamine generates approximately six kilograms of toxic waste. These wastes are often disposed of through illegal dumping resulting in environmental contamination and threats to public health.
RICCO encourages social media followers to spread the message and information to help educate community members about the warning signs of possible methamphetamine labs and the dangers of methamphetamine production in our communities.
RICCO represents all police services in Canada and coordinates national initiatives to curb organized crime through intelligence sharing and collaboration. This partnership goes beyond policing and includes organizations such as the Canada Border Services Agency, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada and other federal government departments.
OPP Deputy Commissioner Chuck Cox, Provincial Commander, Investigations and Organized Crime, and RICCO Co-Chair, stated in announcing the new campaign: “Canadian law enforcement agencies, and their vital partners like Crime Stoppers, are committed to aggressively tracking down, rooting out and dismantling the crime organizations involved in the proliferation of illegal goods, including methamphetamine, in our communities”.
And, to emphasise the importance of vigilance in communities, David J. Forster, President of Canadian Crime Stoppers Association, noted” “The threat of methamphetamine production and distribution in our communities is growing. Often linked to organized crime, this criminal activity poses a threat to our personal safety. The Canadian Crime Stoppers Association and its 87 affiliate programs that support communities across Canada encourage the public to report suspicious activity to police or anonymously to Crime Stoppers. Together, we can help all communities to live in safety”.