Crime Stoppers NSW celebrates 35 years of creating a safer community

Thursday, 31 October 2024 11:09:42 AM

Crime Stoppers NSW has marked 35 years of helping to keep the community safe through the prevention, awareness and reporting of crimes in conjunction with the NSW Police Force.

When Crime Stoppers began, there was an average of 500 calls a month. Today, there is an average of 10,000 contacts (via phone and online) per month with information leading to an arrest on average four times a day.

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said Crime Stoppers is a crucial link between the community and police.

“The impact that Crime Stoppers has had on policing over the past 35 years cannot be overstated,” Minister Catley said.

“It allows the community to provide critical information that has assisted in thousands of police investigations and brought perpetrators to account.

“The community are the eyes and ears of police and the information provided to Crime Stoppers plays an invaluable role in keeping us safe.”

Crime Stoppers NSW is part of a global network which helps solve a crime every 14 minutes around the world.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said without the help of Crime Stoppers, many crimes would have been much more challenging to solve.

“The partnership between the NSW Police Force and Crime Stoppers is one of our most important tools in solving crime and keeping the community safe. It is hard to quantify the difference it has made over the years, but there is no doubt it has been profound.

“Of course, in every single case, we also wouldn’t have been able to achieve results without the assistance of the community, and I want to thank everyone who has come forward with information to make this partnership a success.”

Over the years, many significant crimes have been solved thanks to information provided by the community to Crime Stoppers. These include:

• Najma Carroll: In 2020 the body of Najma Carroll was located in bushland and at the time her identity, as well as the date and cause of her death, were unknown. Thanks to two reports to Crime Stoppers and subsequent witness statements, Robert Sloan was arrested and charged with Najma’s murder. He is currently serving a 25 year jail sentence.
• Charlise Mutten: In January 2022, Justin Stein was charged after the discovery of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten’s body in a barrel on the banks of the Colo River. Following a media appeal, information about the crime and the location of evidence was reported to Crime Stoppers which led to Stein being convicted of her murder and being sentenced to life in jail.

None of this would have been possible without the collaborative efforts of the NSW Police Force and the community.

Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, Commander of Homicide Squad, said information from the public is vital when it comes to solving murders and other serious crimes.

“Our victims don’t have the ability to tell their story, share evidence or reach out to detectives. That is why the information that’s comes from the public is so important. It allows the public to give voices to victims who don’t have one. “

“Thanks to Crime Stoppers over the past 35 years the public has had the ability to give information that can solve serious crimes like murders, sexual assaults, robberies and kidnappings as well as reach out to police to keep their communities safe,” Det Supt Doherty said.

“For the Homicide Squad the information we have received from Crime Stoppers has been instrumental in arresting those responsible for murders and bringing justice to their victim’s families.”

NSW Crime Stoppers CEO, Peter Price AM, said Crime Stoppers NSW has a long and rich history of helping to solve crime.

“We are very proud of what has been achieved,” Mr Price said.

“Reporting to Crime Stoppers is crucial to solving crime, but Crime Stoppers does so much more. We have a strong education and awareness program using community engagement, and social media campaigns which provide safety advice to help prevent a crime from occurring.

“In recent years we have focussed on crimes relating to drugs, firearms, online child safety and rural crime.”

Crime Stoppers NSW has also introduced new and innovative ways to help engage with the community to encourage more reporting including:

• The first in the world to have a 24/7 operational call centre
• The first in Australia to take information and reports on domestic violence
• The first to establish a Cyber Crime Advisory Council and first to establish a Rural Crime Advisory Council

In conjunction with the 35 year anniversary, Crime Stoppers NSW are acknowledging the 25 year anniversary of Crime Stoppers NSW CEO, Mr Peter Price AM, who is the longest serving CEO across the history of all Crime Stoppers jurisdictions in Australia.

Crime Stoppers continues to call on the community to report crime. Every piece of information counts.

If you see or hear of anything you believe to be suspicious you can contact Crime Stoppers 24/7 and report information in confidence by calling 1800 333 000 or online at nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

You can also report crime to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or your local Police station. Save Triple Zero (000) for emergencies.

NSW Crime Stoppers is looking forward to another 35 years of partnering with the NSW Police Force and local communities to continue making NSW a safer place to live.

Detailed Case Studies

Strike Force Dalcassia (murder of Najma Carroll)

On the 29/07/2020, the body of Najma CARROLL was located deceased in bushland at Sandy Point. At that time, her identity as well as the date and cause of her death were unknown.

On 05/08/2020, two crime stoppers reports were received detailing that Robert Sloan killed Najma Carroll with a baseball bat in bushland at Sandy Point Quarry. The reports provided background information about why the incident occurred and as well as details of the murder itself.

The information provided was from a close associate of Sloan, who at that time was unknown to the investigation. He reported the incident information to Crime Stoppers as he had fears of reporting it directly to police. The information provided significant lines of enquiry for the investigation. The witness later provided statements detailing firsthand admission by Sloan.

On 19/01/2024, Sloan plead guilty to the murder of Najma Carroll. On 2/08/2024, he was sentenced to 25 years and 2 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 17 years and 6 months.

Strike Force BUENA (murder of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten)

The offender Justin Stein was charged in January 2022 after the discovery of Charlise’s body in a barrel on the banks of the Colo River after she had disappeared from the Mt Wilson area several days earlier.

A subsequent media appeal was conducted, not only in relation to information pertaining to CCTV of the routes taken by the vehicle used by Stein, but also for information as it was revealed that Charlise had died as a result of being shot, most likely in the Mt Wilson area.

A person walking in the bushland area of Mt Wilson later found a suspicious area in the bush which appeared to be covering something as if to hide it.

The witness contacted Crime Stoppers and investigators attended the location through coordinates provided and discovered a number of relevant items, including a firearm with a scope which police later linked to Justin Stein.

This was crucial evidence in the case again Stein, who was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life.

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