Appointment of new Crime Stoppers Australia Chair

Crime Stoppers Australia Board Director and accomplished businesswoman, Ms Diana Forrester, has been announced as the new Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia.

Ms Forrester has more than 13 years’ experience volunteering in the successful crime solving and prevention program, including three years as Chair of the Crime Stoppers ACT program.

Deputy Chair of Crime Stoppers Australia, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said: “Diana is a true champion of Crime Stoppers and being Canberra-based provides the added advantage of having some of the nation’s most important decision-makers and key partners right on her doorstep”

“As Chair of Crime Stoppers ACT, Diana has first-hand knowledge of the challenges and complexities facing our National, State and Territory-based programs. As an active participant on the Crime Stoppers Australia Board for nearly three years she also has a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities that increased stakeholder engagement will achieve at a national level,” she said.

“Diana is ideally placed to help raise awareness of the importance of Crime Stoppers nationally and its critical role in contributing to a safer Australia by helping to solve crime, including some of the nation’s most horrific and baffling cases.”

In accepting her new role, Ms Forrester said she will be working with the Board to increase national awareness of the importance of Crime Stoppers, as well as delivering important national crime prevention, education and awareness campaigns and establishing new public and private partnerships.

“Crime impacts on the entire community and can erode public confidence, so we will continue to actively engage governments, the business community and every Australian, encouraging them to play an active role in keeping Australia safe by reporting to Crime Stoppers. I am very proud to lead Australia’s most recognised and pre-eminent anonymous information reporting service,” Ms Forrester said.  

“Crime does not recognise borders, so it is important for Crime Stoppers to adopt a similarly broad approach if we want to help law enforcement to effectively tackle issues such as drug trafficking, major fraud, illegal firearms, people smuggling and a range of other serious and organised crimes,” she said.

“The value of Crime Stoppers cannot be over stated. As we celebrate 30 years of this voluntary community-driven program in Australia, our focus will be on continuing to demonstrate the important social and economic contribution that the program makes, which is estimated to be more than $60m and delivery of $11.15 in added value for every dollar invested.”

In addition to her comprehensive Crime Stoppers and wider board experience, Ms Forrester is a highly skilled, awarded and respected communication professional with nearly 30 years’ experience in delivering national education and public awareness campaigns across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Ms Forrester is the first woman appointed to the role of Chair of Crime Stoppers. “I am delighted our organisation exemplifies strong governance and a progressive, contemporary profile with a healthy gender balance around our own board table, which extends to the international level where my Deputy Chair, Sharon Hanlon, is the first female President of Crime Stoppers International. I believe this adds great depth and immense value to our decision making,” she said.

Ms Forrester remains Chair of ACT Region Crime Stoppers and is also Chair of the College of Fellows (ACT) for the Public Relations Institute of Australia. She was awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal for services to the Australian community in business leadership, and was the ACT Telstra Business Woman of the Year and a national finalist in the government and corporate sector category in 2001.

More about Crime Stoppers Australia can be found at www.crimestoppers.com.au