Humour latest tool used by Crime Stoppers to snag Sask. suspects
Target audience for releases and social media posts is criminals and people associated with criminals
There may not be honour among thieves, but there is apparently a sense of humour.
Saskatoon Crime Stoppers began changing the tone of its releases back in February. Specifically, for the right suspect and the right crime, Crime Stoppers is going for the funny bone.
And it seems to be working.
Const. Ryan Ehalt is the Crime Stoppers co-ordinator. He said that, over the past four months, it's solved five of 22 cases in its "Dear Suspect" category.
These are social media posts specifically aimed at suspects who are clearly identifiable in a surveillance camera photo committing a crime.
"When we have a clear photo of you, we basically are informing you that we have you, and basically informing the general public," he said.
These suspects either turn themselves in, or get turned in.
The other category is people who are known to police and have a mugshot, but are on the loose.
For instance, the text under the wanted poster for a suspected armed robber read:
"If you wouldn't mind, can you just come turn yourself in at the Saskatoon Police Service located at 76 25th St East. That would be super helpful.
We are sure someone is tired of you sleeping on their couch.- Crime Stoppers post
"It would save us having to pay out on the multiple tips we are sure to receive about you considering we do pay up to $2000 for any anonymous information that leads to an arrest … so can you help us out? Times are tough."
That suspect was arrested Wednesday.
Another Crime Stoppers post, looking for a man wanted in Edmonton for allegedly breaching multiple court orders, read:
"We are sure someone is tired of you sleeping on their couch."
Ehalt said the campaign is not about shaming people, or making light of the victims of crime. Rather, it's about appealing to a universal human desire to laugh.
"Humour, it crosses all bounds," Ehalt said.
Ehalt said Crime Stoppers gave a lot of thought to taking this approach. In the end, it came down to understanding who would be providing the tips.
"Basically, our target audience is criminals and people associated with criminals, and by doing it in a humourous approach we believe, and know, that we've been reaching that particular target audience," he said.
"So you operate sort of as a business model and you have to know your target audience."