Mac's Convenience Stores @MacsCrimeBusters & Crime Stoppers Social Media For Success & Safety
Channel: 222TIPSCommunity
Date: 2012-08-22

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For further information, please call Sean Sportun at 416-904-3805.

Thursday, April 19, 2012, 10 a.m., 31 Tapscott Road, Toronto, Canada | Mac's Convenience Stores Turns to Social Media In Fight Against Crime

On Thursday, April 19, 2012, at 10 a.m., at Mac's Convenience Store, 31 Tapscott Road, lower-level of Malvern Town Centre, Mac's Crime Busters will launch a social media campaign to help police fight crime.

There is no surprise retail stores can be targets when it comes to shop theft or robbery incidents. With this in mind, Mac's Convenience Stores in Central Canada have developed an innovative approach to combat crime by using social media giants Facebook and Twitter to help identify criminal suspects.

Mac's will use these social media outlets to blast their crimefighting messages out to the community.

Here's how it works: each Mac's store is equipped with surveillance cameras and a digital video recording (DVR) unit. When an incident occurs, images of suspects from the DVR are turned over to the police. To assist the police in identifying these suspects, Mac's will now proactively post these images of recent unsolved crimes on their Mac's Crime Busters Facebook page and on Twitter @MacsCrimeBuster. The images will have a description of the suspect and alleged crime, followed by an appeal to the public to contact Crime Stoppers if they have any information that will assist the police in apprehending the suspect.

"We hope this forward-thinking approach to crime prevention will assist in the resolution of unsolved crimes," said Sean Sportun, Manager, Security & Loss Prevention, for Mac's in Central Canada.

Mac's stores will post notices at their entrances and on their in-store media screens (the largest digital network in Ontario), advising customers of their intention to use images of individuals alleged to have committed criminal acts on their property. Once a suspect is arrested, their image will be taken down and replaced with a title "apprehended."

"Toronto Crime Stoppers is excited to be involved with the Mac's Crime Busters initiative," said Toronto Crime Stoppers Chair Gary Grant. "This program is another example of Crime Stoppers working with a credible corporate partner in a meaningful way, resulting in safer communities."

Mac's Convenience Stores has made crime prevention an integral part of their corporate responsibility, demonstrating their continued commitment to the overall safety of the community. With your help, Mac's can enhance community safety by identifying individuals suspected of crimes against their stores and other retailers.

"We have the technology and we are going to use it," said Tom Moher, Mac's Vice President of Operations in Central Canada. "By using social media we will reach a more diverse demographic in our effort to combat crime and enhance public safety."

Working in partnership with law enforcement and Crime Stoppers, Mac's goal is to:

• create awareness of retail crime
• identify individuals who are suspected of committing criminal acts against Mac's by posting their images on Facebook & Twitter, with a description of their alleged crime
• provide the public with a conduit to report suspects anonymously through Crime Stoppers
• assist law enforcement in identifying offenders, especially those repeat offenders
• enhance the safety and security of our customers and employees.

Crime Stoppers is a partnership between the public, police and media that provides the community with a proactive program for citizens to assist the police anonymously in solving crimes, thereby contributing to an improved quality of life.

Individuals who have any information that will assist investigators are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online or by text message. Crime Stoppers takes information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Calls are not recorded and Crime Stoppers does not have call display, guaranteeing your identity remains anonymous. If your tip leads to an arrest, you are eligible to a cash reward. You will never be asked to identify yourself or testify in court.

Along with posting the surveillance images, Mac's will also be covering the $200 reward paid out by Crime Stoppers.

Entire press conference recorded on Android phone for Crime Stoppers International provided by Bell Canada to Crime Stoppers International Social Media Advisor Scott Mills - Captured Live on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/social-media-for-success-and-safety with the Ustream Mobile App

Video recorded by Constable Martin Douglas Toronto Police Service. Video edited by Ceara Wooller-Johnson, Youth In Policing Initiative Toronto Police Service. Video posted by Scott Mills. Contact:  SocialMedia@CSIWorld.org