Here’s how we help protect your identity when you make a report to Crime Stoppers WA
Our reporting platforms are designed to support anonymous reporting and minimise the collection, retention and exposure of identifiable information wherever reasonably possible.
You are not required to provide your name or contact details when making a report. In many circumstances, the identity of the reporter is not known to Crime Stoppers WA or the receiving organisation unless you choose to provide your details, or identifying information is intentionally or unintentionally included within the report or any accompanying message, attachment, image, screenshot, document, or other uploaded material.
Where identifying information is provided, whether voluntarily or inadvertently, the report may no longer reasonably be regarded as anonymous and will instead be handled confidentially in accordance with the receiving organisation’s privacy, security, governance, and legal obligations.
Reports are submitted through the Tor network using technology designed to help protect your anonymity and make it exceptionally difficult to identify where the report came from.
Legal Decision
While each case must be taken on its own merits, the case below is a good example of the strong view that the courts take regarding the anonymity of information disclosed to Crime Stoppers.
- WA Supreme Court Case Stated THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA -v CHRISTIE [2005] WASC 214
In the above case, the Hon. Justice J McKECHNIE ruled:
“Nothing is advanced that would satisfy me as to the legitimate forensic purpose in disclosing this material. Even if there was some legitimate forensic purpose, I consider that the strong public interest in the confidentiality of all information provided by callers to the Crime Stoppers program would require the public interest immunity to extend over that material”. Para 39
