MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Moose Jaw Crime Stoppers has temporarily stopped accepting tips as part of a provincewide pause following a data breach that raised concerns about the anonymity of people who submitted information.
The breach involves P3, the tip software used by Crime Stoppers programs across Canada. According to the organizations, stolen data included information that could potentially identify some tipsters.
Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers and the programs serving Moose Jaw, Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert announced the suspension in a joint statement Oct. 23. They said the decision was made together, with support from their policing partners.
“For decades, people across this province have come to Crime Stoppers trusting they could share information with the goal of making our communities safer,” the programs said in the joint statement.
Saskatchewan’s Crime Stoppers programs said they were working through legal counsel to seek answers from Navigate360, the company that owns P3, about the extent of the breach’s impact in the province.
The Oct. 23 statement did not specify how many Saskatchewan tips were affected or whether any Moose Jaw tipsters had been identified.
Federal privacy investigation underway
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced Oct. 27 that commissioner Philippe Dufresne had opened an investigation into Navigate360.
The investigation will examine the company’s security safeguards at the time of the breach to determine whether it complied with federal private-sector privacy law.
The commissioner’s office said it had contacted Crime Stoppers to offer expertise and guidance on responding to the breach and had also reached out to Navigate360.
Its involvement is focused on ensuring steps are taken to contain the breach, protect Canadians’ personal information, reduce risks to those affected and prevent similar incidents.
Saskatchewan’s Crime Stoppers programs are non-profit organizations, each overseen by a volunteer civilian board. They have served communities across the province since the 1980s.
In their Oct. 23 statement, the programs also acknowledged the partnerships and public trust that have supported their work.
“To our law enforcement partners, our stakeholders, and the countless community members who have entrusted us with information to make our province safer, we thank you for your continued support.”
How to report a crime during the pause
Residents are being asked not to submit information to any Crime Stoppers program in Saskatchewan while the suspension remains in place.
Anyone witnessing a crime in progress or a situation in which someone is in danger should call 911. Non-emergency crimes should be reported directly to local police.
In Moose Jaw, residents can reach the police service’s non-emergency line at 306-694-7600. Crime Stoppers cautioned that reports made directly to police will not be anonymous.
The programs did not provide a reopening date in their Oct. 23 statement, saying submissions would resume once they were confident tips could be accepted safely.
“This pause is temporary. Our goal is to begin accepting tips again as soon as we are confident we can safely do so. We will share new information as it becomes available,” the joint Crime Stoppers statement reads.
