Bin the crim as waste trucks help take out more than trash
20 February 2023
A visible reminder for residents to contact Crime Stoppers and share information anonymously will be travelling across Ipswich on the back of council’s waste collection trucks in an effort to keep our city safe.
Crime Stoppers Queensland and Ipswich City Council have partnered to place Crime Stoppers stickers on 40 Ipswich Waste Services trucks, reminding residents how to report crime anonymously to help solve and prevent issues in the area.
Driven by Growth, Infrastructure and Waste Committee Chair Mayor Teresa Harding, the partnership is a re-establishment of a previous collaboration from 2011 where stickers were placed on waste trucks.
Mayor Harding said she was keen to reinvigorate the effort and “toss crime in the bin”.
“I am delighted Ipswich City Council and Crime Stoppers Queensland are partnering once more on what really is a terrific initiative,” Mayor Harding said.
“We want to keep reminding our community to stay vigilant and be on the lookout for anything that may be suspicious.
“This partnership would not be possible without the ongoing support of our local Crime Stoppers Ipswich Volunteer Area Committee, chaired by Keith McDonald and Sergeant Nadine Webster the Queensland Police Service representative on the committee.”
Growth, Infrastructure and Waste Committee Deputy Chair Councillor Paul Tully said the renewed partnership with Crime Stoppers wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of many.
“Crime Stoppers has a long history in Ipswich, with a close partnership between local police officers and Crime Stopper volunteers paying dividends for community safety,” Cr Tully said.
State Manager of Crime Stoppers Queensland Renae Long said that community safety should be taken seriously and is the responsibility of all.
“Over the years, anonymous information provided to Crime Stoppers Queensland has been the catalyst to stopping crime in its tracks,” Ms Long said.
“We hope these stickers will act as a reminder to the residents of Ipswich to be aware of their surroundings and call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 if they know something or have seen something.
“An anonymous phone call or tip online can make a huge difference reducing, disrupting and solving crime, which in turn supports a safer community.”
The stickers will be placed on all of Ipswich Waste Services’ new waste trucks in the coming months as its new fleet of 28 trucks is rolled out, as well as others in the fleet, and will also be placed on some specific Ipswich bins and skips for hire.
Across Australia, someone contacts Crime Stoppers every two minutes to share information that is then passed to law enforcement and leads to an average of 100 arrests per week for a range of crimes.
Sergeant Nadine Webster, Queensland Police Service representative for the Ipswich area noted that we are always looking for great volunteers to support each Volunteer Area Committee across the state.
“In an emergency, call 000. If you’re reporting a crime, call 131 444,” Sgt Webster said.
For all anonymous reporting of crime and suspicious activity, contact Crime Stoppers Queensland on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersqld.com.au/make-a-report and remain anonymous.