Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers

The Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers (O.A.C.S.) is comprised of a board of directors and executive with dedicated volunteers from various walks of life, and police coordinators representing 38 Ontario Crime Stopper (C.S.) programs. A legal advisor is appointed from the federal and the Ontario level to the board.

The O.A.C.S. is not a governing body per sé, but rather an association that offers advice and assistance to any Ontario C.S. program that requests it. The OACS has developed the Ontario programs’ operational guidelines and appendices manual, including by-laws, which are updated regularly and which the programs are encouraged to follow. There are several sub-committees of the OACS which include: Seniors’ Initiative, Public Relations, Legal Issues, an OACS newsletter, Zone Liaison, Awards, Technology, Finance, Scholastic and By-Laws.

Each year, the OACS liaises with different Ontario programs to develop the OACS Training Conference. All programs are invited to send participants from their respective boards to attend these conferences held at various program communities throughout the province. A variety of pertinent seminars and workshops are offered to these people in order that they become more familiar with the Crime Stoppers mandate, mission and operations in general.

Every spring, the OACS hosts a Legal Issues seminar for all Ontario programs which is open to all executive level members and coordinators of CS boards. These issues pertain to legal matters encountered by the programs. The OACS has also been responsible for instituting an Ontario Legal Fund within the last year which is available to any program should they face legal challenges.

The OACS has also established some very mutually beneficial partnerships:

Ministry of Natural Resources, Canadian Bankers Association, Insurance Crime Prevention Bureau, Canadian Distillers Association, The Ontario Jockey Club, The Ontario Trucking Association, Bell Canada, Victim Services, Hydro One and the Humane Society. They are currently working on future partnerships with other relevant associations.

In January 2006, a sub-committee of the OACS launched the Senior’s Initiative which is available to all Ontario programs. This initiative is designed, through the respective Boards of Directors presentations and educational materials, to instruct seniors regarding elder abuse, fraud and other crimes to which they are particularly susceptible.