Near North Crime Stoppers coordinator honoured with provincial award

Crime Stoppers coordinator wins provincial award The coordinator of the Near North Crime Stoppers is being recognized for his work helping police with criminal investigations.

The police coordinator of the Near North Crime Stoppers is being recognized for his leadership in promoting the program.

Jean Lemieux is being honoured by the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers. For more than two decades, Lemieux has been taking anonymous Crime Stoppers calls and tips, helping police with ongoing investigations.

“We get tips from fraud to assault, drugs and even poaching activities. So we do work with conservation officers, as well,” he said.

“I’m just a piece of the machine.”

Lemieux was recently awarded the Crime Stoppers Coordinator of the Year award for 2023 at the recent Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers conference.

He plays a key leadership role across several Crime Stoppers programs and represents the area on the provincial board.

“Our numbers indicate that there’s been an increase in the number of tips that are submitted,” Lemieux said.

“A lot of people think this is the way to do it.”

The Near North Crime Stoppers Board submitted Lemieux’s name for recognition. He was chosen from about 40 other provincial coordinators who were also nominated.

“We describe Jean as the backbone of the program here,” said Crime Stoppers board chair Brandon Fenton.

“He coordinates all of our activities and our relationships day-to-day.”

As of June 30, 2022, Crime Stoppers tips have helped deal with nearly 2,800 unsolved cases, more than 260 weapons have been seized and more than $54 million worth of illicit drugs have been taken off the streets.

Jean Lemieux Jean Lemieux, the police coordinator of the Near North Crime Stoppers, is being recognized for his leadership in promoting the program. Lemieux is being honoured by the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

Lemieux encourages people to submit tips to Crime Stoppers because callers will not ask for your name, phone number, or address and callers will not be asked to appear in court to testify.

If the information leads to the conclusion of a police investigation, the tipster can receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

More than $255,000 in reward money has been handed out since June 2022.

“(Lemieux) has really been the driving force for a lot of the success that we’ve seen,” said Fenton.

North Bay police are taking the time to recognize the partnership investigating officers have with the Crime Stoppers team. Near North Crime Stoppers has been in place since 1988.

“They help us by providing information from the public when they may not feel comfortable coming forward to police,” said Insp. Scott McFarlane, of the North Bay Police Service’s criminal investigations section.

While Lemieux is delighted to receive the award, he knows his work isn’t done in providing officers a helping hand.

“The information is sometimes very crucial to an investigation,” he said.

“We look at it as a piece of the puzzle.”

Anyone with information about criminal activity can contact the Near North Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online at the Near North Crime Stoppers website.