TORONTO

Toronto Crime Stoppers stops giving rewards, says will invest in communities instead

Published Monday, January 6, 2020 5:21PM EST

Sean Sportun, Chair of Toronto Crime Stoppers, speaks on the program's decision to stop giving rewards for tips. (CTV News Toronto)

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TORONTO -- Toronto Crime Stoppers says it will no longer hand out financial rewards for tips that lead to arrests in local incidents.

From now on, the organization says it will use those funds to invest in Toronto communities affected by crime and violence instead.

The program launched in 1984 and says it has since received nearly 166,000 tips.

The organization says some of those tips helped police make 85 arrests last year.

The chair of Toronto Crime Stoppers, Sean Sportun, says in a statement that the program wants to appeal to people's "desire to serve the greater good."

A video released Monday shows police officers bringing food, games and other items to an after-school program in the city's east end.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 6, 2020.

Chair of Toronto Crime Stoppers Sean Sportun announces January 6, 2020 that Canada court protected annonymity of a Crime Stoppers tip is believed more important than the up to $2,000 cash reward and effective immediately there will be no more cash rewards for tips in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/mRMd2qvnjR
— Scott Mills �� (@GraffitiBMXCop) January 6, 2020