FNQ volunteers are often seen promoting Crime Stoppers at events such as the Laura Races, Weipa Fishing Classic and Weipa Rodeo, but statewide changes are afoot. Photos: Supplied.
The Crime Stoppers Far North Area Committee is being disbanded due to a statewide digital push by the charity, leaving dozens of loyal volunteers “horribly pissed off”.
Mladen Bosnic, chair of the committee which attended events across Cape York, said he and about 50 active members were disheartened by Crime Stoppers Queensland’s “deplorable” decision, which will impact hundreds of volunteers across the state.
Brisbane-based Crime Stoppers Queensland was approached and stated the organisation was “transitioning to a more centralised, scalable and digitally-capable operating model to ensure it can continue to effectively support Queensland Police and the community into the future”.
Mr Bosnic said he was fighting to have the decision reversed and hoped media attention and the advocacy of community leaders would assist.
Instead of enjoying National Volunteers Week – which is about celebrating the vital contributions of millions of volunteers nationwide – Mr Bosnic was speaking up for dismayed fellow members.
He said the committee, which formed in 2019, was an essential link between Crime Stoppers and communities that could not be replaced digitally. Sizeable Crime Stoppers committees will be replaced with few regional ambassadors.
“Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, when it works,” Mr Bosnic said.
“They said, we’re going to a new model; we’re this and we’re that. Which was very disappointing.
“And then two weeks later all the executives were summoned to a (Microsoft) Teams meeting, and that’s when the bombshell was announced … the volunteer network is being phased out and replaced with an ambassador model. Wow. It was pretty, pretty devastating.”
Mr Bosnic said the committee had squirrelled away close to $200,000 in fundraising dollars.
“Probably the only consolation we got out of all of that was that the money raised that’s sitting there, we can try and spend it in the area where it was raised,” he said.
“We’ll try, but it will still be subject to state office approval.”
Cook MP David Kempton said Crime Stoppers played a critical role in the face of youth crime and antisocial behaviour and dissolving the volunteer network seemed counterproductive.
Cook MP David Kempton. Photo: Supplied.
He said the volunteers worked “tirelessly” and travelled “thousands of kilometres each year, not only spreading the message of Crime Stoppers, ‘Safety where you live’, but providing support to victims of crime and communities, pulling communities together”.
“No regional ambassador could possibly cover the 200,000 sqkm which is my electorate, attend the dozens of community events, foster the relationships, create community cohesion and give feedback to the central organisation as well as the 50 hardworking volunteers,” Mr Kempton said.
He said the “ill-conceived modernisation of the charity” did not properly consider “connectivity issues of regional and remote communities, including my expansive and complex electorate of Cook”.
“There is no timeline for the transition which leaves the volunteers feeling more deserted and with more questions than answers,” Mr Kempton said.
Committee members promoted Crime Stoppers at the Laura Races, Weipa Fishing Classic and Weipa Rodeo, among other events.
Mr Kempton said: “No matter where you go in my immense and spectacular electorate, if there are people gathered you can be assured Crime Stoppers will be there cooking sausages, spreading the message and bringing people together.
“Volunteers do a lot of heavy lifting not only in my electorate but throughout Queensland and this National Volunteer Week is the time volunteers should be feeling celebrated not deserted.”
Crime Stoppers Queensland CEO David Hansen said: “Crime Stoppers has a proud history built on the dedication of volunteers across Queensland, and that contribution cannot be overstated.
“The organisation needs to evolve however in response to changing community engagement patterns, technology and crime itself,” he said.
“Our challenge is that the way people engage with organisations has changed significantly, as have the regulatory and technology environments. Today more awareness and reporting is driven through digital and media channels, while governance, safety and compliance requirements have also increased.”
Crime Stoppers Queensland believes the controversial changes will ultimately increase public assistance provided to police. Photo: Queensland Police.
Mr Hansen said the new model “is not about a like-for-like replacement of volunteer roles”.
“It’s about ensuring we can reach increasingly diverse Queensland communities more consistently, using a mix of modern communication channels, partnership amplification, and targeted local engagement, rather than relying so much on traditional event-based outreach often with similar audiences,” he said.
“This change will allow us to engage with hundreds of thousands more Queenslanders and encourage more anonymous reports than we have been able to achieve in recent years, despite the dedicated efforts of our volunteers at local community events.
“Crime Stoppers also recognises that the transition is significant for volunteers, many of whom have contributed decades of service and stresses it does not reflect on their performance or commitment, which is highly valued and has been central to the organisation’s success to this point.
“We will be working hard to keep our volunteers informed during this staged transition and will be ensuring we respect their legacy and acknowledge them in local appreciation events wherever possible.”
There are no changes to how the public can anonymously report information. Phone 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
Original Article published by Luke Mortimer on Region Tropical North Queensland.
