Crime Stoppers has had previous kicks at the can in the Yukon, Mayor Dan Curtis acknowledged Thursday, but he’s optimistic about the program’s recent re-launch.

“I’ve seen you work together,” Curtis said of the community at a news conference.

“We can really move mountains. I’m hoping this is one of the mountains that we can kind of plow down, by working together.”

Crime Stoppers previously folded in the territory in 2011, when it was shut down due to a lack of community involvement.

Last spring, the Yukon government contributed $21,000 to start-up costs for the program.

“I think with the new leadership that we have, within the government, within justice, the current leadership, and, of course, the community associations and the business community and the chambers, I just can’t see this failing. I don’t think we can afford to let it fail,” Curtis said.

Mike Pemberton, the president of the Yukon Community Crime Stoppers Association, said funding is important to the life of the community-driven service.

He said local businesses must understand that, without their support, the program will go by the wayside.

Some of that support is financial.

Crime Stoppers can accept government money for administrative costs, but it must rely on donations to make up the reward money paid out to tips that result in arrests.

When a Yukoner calls the tip line, the information they give is attached to a number, rather than the name of a person.

The information is relayed to Yukon RCMP liaisons, who assess the information.

RCMP Supt. Brian Jones said tips aren’t enough to obtain warrants, but they give officers a starting point, or a new direction to investigate.

They become, he said, “another piece of the puzzle.”

If the RCMP determine a tip has contributed directly to solving a crime, they tell the Crime Stoppers board. The board then pays out the tipster.

Rewards are granted on a sliding scale, up to a maximum of $2,000, and identities are kept confidential at the board level.

Justice Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee said this anonymity is important to individuals who may fear retribution for speaking up.

“The reintroduction of an updated Crime Stoppers program in the territory is welcomed by the Government of Yukon,” she said.

“A well-staffed and knowledgeable association will administer the program, so citizens have an avenue to help prevent and reduce crime by anonymously providing information that can be used to resolve cases.”

Pemberton said he’s not sure what will be the minimum amount of funding required to make Crime Stoppers sustainable, but he says the board is committed to raising it.

“It’s got to live with the individuals that sit on that board to maintain a strategy for fundraising, for knocking on doors to collect money,” he said.

“I think, at this time, we have an excellent board. We’ve discussed this, how we’re going to go about it. Our first effort, of course, was getting the launch done.

“Our next effort is putting a plan in place to raise funds for the rewards.”

Pemberton was also quick to point out that reward money is rarely the goal of individuals calling in to tip lines.

More often, he said, they want to help put a stop to crime in their communities.

Gina Nagano, the justice director of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, said she was happy to hear of the launch.

The KDFN established its own tip line roughly a year ago. Nagano said it was important that people in the community felt protected and empowered through an initiative such as a tip line. That line will continue to operate.

“We all have a responsibility to lean in, to engage, to participate,” she said.

“As First Nations history and culture has confirmed over and over again, the community has the answers needed to address its own problems.”

“The RCMP prefers to speak directly with witnesses; however, we recognize that exceptional circumstances can sometimes prevent those conversations from happening,” Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard, the commanding officer of the Yukon RCMP, said in a statement.

“The Crime Stoppers tip line is a valuable tool that will support existing public safety initiatives across the territory.

“By sharing information that could potentially help us further our investigations, Yukoners can play a real part in contributing to the safety of their communities.”

Crime Stoppers is an internationally recognized brand and has programs throughout Canada, the U.S., Britain, Australia and South Africa.

“On behalf of the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association I would like to congratulate the Yukon community for establishing a new Crime Stopper program,” said David J. Forster, the association’s president.

“The year 2016 marks the 40th anniversary since our inception, and the importance of Crime Stopper programs to help make our communities a safer place to live, work and play has never been greater.”