Canberra businesswoman Diane Forrester has been announced as the new Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia, the first woman appointed to the top role with the crime reporting service.
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Mrs Forrester, a former ACT businesswoman of the year, has been the voluntary president of ACT Crime Stoppers for three years.
![Canberra businesswoman Diana Forrester, the new national Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia. Canberra businesswoman Diana Forrester, the new national Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc75mneanhzfs1g19kl6jt.jpg/r0_0_2450_2841_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
She has served in several Canberra charitable and community roles, including as a board member for the Chief Minister's fund, the Hands Across Canberra foundation.
She is also a director of Canberra firm OPF Consulting, a project and campaign management company with expertise in communications.
Her appointment comes as Crime Stoppers ACT rolls out a new look website portal. The mobile-friendly portal makes it easier and quicker for people to report online.
People who report to Crime Stoppers can choose to do so anonymously.
To reassure people that their IP address is not tracked when they report online, the information provided is routed through three servers in a sophisticated process which strips away identifying code.
"The quality of Crime Stoppers reports we get online are particularly helpful to us because of the clarity of the information," ACT chief police officer Ray Johnson said.
"Everyone has their mobile device with them these days so having that new website up and running for the ACT is a very valuable crime-fighting tool."
The new portal has been two years in development and allows people to add location details, plus descriptions of people and vehicles involved.
Mrs Forrester said that last year people in the ACT provided more Crime Stoppers reports per capita than any other state or territory.
"Last year there were 12,236 made to Crime Stoppers in the ACT," she said.
"Those reports could be directly linked to 50 arrests and 134 charges laid.
"People know and trust the Crime Stoppers brand and as the national chair, I'm looking forward to doing what I can to help police in their fight against crime."
Crime Stoppers reports from the Canberra public led to the shutdown of an illegal brothel operating out of an apartment complex in Reid last year.
The raid on the Reid complex involved police and members of Australian Border Force and resulted in two people being arrested, and four Thai nationals deported,
Crime Stoppers has also proved a useful tool in alerting the public to missing people. Two Chinese nationals visiting Canberra in January were reported missing at 8pm but were located safe and well the next morning through information provided to Crime Stoppers.