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St. Thomas Police announced they temporarily paused participation in the local Crime Stoppers program after a cybersecurity breach involving its third-party anonymous tip collection platform.
Police said in a news release on Friday, Oct. 23, they paused participating in the St. Thomas-Elgin Crime Stoppers program following a breach of Navigate360’s “P3” platform, which Crime Stoppers uses to receive and manage anonymous tips. The service operated independently from police internal information systems.
Police asked residents to report crimes and share public safety information directly to police, “in order to protect sensitive information while the scope of the breach and the safeguards required for continued participation are assessed.”
While police have paused its participation in the program, they shared they are seeking verified findings related to the impact on St. Thomas-Elgin Crime Stoppers, including any potential risks to individuals, confidential information and police investigations.
The decision comes after over 170,000 tips were reported stolen from the Toronto Crime Stoppers program between 2022 and 2025, the organization said on Wednesday, Oct. 21. They have since paused their tip intake.
“Crime Stoppers and its volunteers have made valuable contributions to the St. Thomas community for decades, strengthening public safety through a longstanding partnership and valuable support for police investigations,” said Chief Marc Roskamp.
“The safety of people who provide information, the protection of confidential information and public trust must guide our response. We will reassess our participation once we have the verified findings and security assurances needed to make an informed decision.”
Police encouraged anyone who has information about a crime or public safety concerns in St. Thomas to contact police directly through the non-emergency line, or by reporting it on their website. In an emergency or where immediate help is needed, call 911.
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