Crime Stoppers reminding Islanders they can report domestic abuse anonymously

PEI Crime Stoppers says people who witness domestic abuse don't always know how to help and they're reminding Islanders that information reported to them always remains anonymous.

Scott Lundrigan, the provincial co-ordinator for Crime Stoppers in P.E.I., said reporting to the organization is an option for anyone not wanting to call police themselves, or become involved in legal proceedings.

"If someone knows about domestic violence occurring in a household, maybe you're a family member and you're talking to the victim on a regular basis, or maybe you've been standing by when something has happened, you can call Crime Stoppers," said Lundrigan.

Anonymous tips can help with future investigations

Tips get passed along to policeand whether or not they result in immediate legal action, they can help with future investigations.

That's because anytime the names or address of the people involved are searched in police databases, any Crime Stoppers tips automatically pop up.

People need to stand up and say something. Not saying anything is a problem because it doesn't help the situation. Scott Lundrigan, PEI Crime Stoppers

Lundrigan said anonymous tips can also help alert Child andFamily Services to a home situation that isn't healthy, or provide context to police attending a call of domestic abuse.

"Police can reach out to Child and Family Services and say,'maybe it's worth doing a home check in relation to this residence,'" Lundrigan said.

"Or if they do get an actual complaint from the residence, they'll know that there was maybe some validity in the background that they weren't expecting, just because we had the other tip."

'Not saying anything is a problem'

He said it can be difficult to know what constitutes domestic abusebut suggests that people who aren't sure shouldshare the tip anyway.

"I would say erron the side of caution," Lundrigan said.

"If you think there's something there that could be domestic abuse, because domestic abuse comes in different forms, it's physical, but sometimes it's emotional, emotional tied to financial constraints," he said.

He suggests that for anyone who is aware of domestic abuse, and wants to help, the best way to do so isto report it.

"That's the key," said Lundrigan. "People need to stand up and say something. Not saying anything is a problem because it doesn't help the situation."

Anonymous tips to PEI Crime Stoppers can be submitted through the group's website, through their mobile app, or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS.

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