A Crime Stoppers breach involving a third-party tip-management platform has exposed information from more than 1.5 million tips submitted across Canada over roughly 25 years, prompting several police services to suspend or review their use of the program.
The incident centres on P3 Global Intel, a tip-management system operated by U.S.-based Navigate360 and used by Crime Stoppers organizations and other public-safety programs.
Toronto Crime Stoppers paused its phone, website and app-based tip intake on October 21, 2026, after learning more about the breach and concluding it could no longer guarantee the anonymity expected by people who submitted information.
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What the Crime Stoppers breach exposed
The compromised material includes historical Canadian Crime Stoppers records dating back approximately 25 years.
More than 850,000 of the exposed tips reportedly contained personal information connected to tipsters, people named in allegations, Crime Stoppers workers or police personnel.
Potentially exposed details include names, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and licence-plate information.
Some records also contained banking details connected to reward payments.
The presence of personal information in a tip does not necessarily mean the person was the tipster.
Records may also refer to victims, witnesses, suspects, police officers or other people mentioned in an allegation.
Toronto Crime Stoppers said Navigate360 provided a list of about 14,973 names that could be associated with affected tip numbers, but did not identify whether those names belonged to tipsters, suspects or other individuals.
Toronto program stops accepting new tips
Toronto Crime Stoppers removed its online tip-submission feature and directed the vendor to stop accepting Toronto submissions through the P3 platform.
The organization also instructed the National Anonymous Call Centre to stop accepting or processing new information intended for Toronto Crime Stoppers.
Toronto Crime Stoppers said it was seeking access to the stolen tip material to better understand the scope of the exposure and assess the risk to people who used the service.
The organization’s decision affects new reports rather than police emergency response.
Anyone facing an immediate danger should still call 911.
Police services across Ontario respond
Police services in several Ontario communities have paused their partnerships with local Crime Stoppers chapters or stopped promoting the service while the investigation continues.
Waterloo Regional Police said it learned in late June 2026 that Navigate360’s P3 platform had been involved in a cybersecurity incident and later confirmed that Waterloo Regional Crime Stoppers was affected.
Waterloo police suspended promotion of Crime Stoppers through its public channels in early July as a precaution.
Other police services, including those in Toronto, Halton, Peel, York Region, Hamilton, Kingston and Windsor, have announced pauses, reviews or changes to how residents can submit information.
Police departments have stressed that the breach involved the third-party Crime Stoppers platform and not their own internal networks or databases.
During the pauses, some police services are asking residents to submit non-emergency information directly to police through official phone numbers or online reporting systems.
Why the breach matters
Crime Stoppers depends on confidentiality to persuade witnesses and community members to share information about criminal activity.
If people believe their names, contact information or reports could be exposed, they may be less likely to report threats, organized crime, violence or information about wanted individuals.
The potential risks also extend beyond the original tipster.
People named in allegations could face harassment, retaliation or reputational harm if sensitive reports circulate without context.
Police and Crime Stoppers organizations must now determine which records were accessed, which records were copied or published, and whether individuals face a specific and immediate safety risk.
The incident also raises questions about how long anonymous-reporting systems should retain old records, whether personal details should be removed from tip narratives, and how organizations oversee vendors that handle sensitive public-safety information.
What happens next
Crime Stoppers organizations and police services are continuing to seek technical information from Navigate360 about the attack, the affected systems and the records involved.
Authorities will also need to determine whether affected individuals should receive direct notices and whether additional privacy or law-enforcement investigations are required.
Crime Stoppers International said its own organization was not affected by the P3 Global Intel incident, distinguishing its international body from local programs that used the compromised platform.
For now, people who need to report a crime should check the official website of their local police service or Crime Stoppers chapter before submitting information through an online form or telephone line.
Anyone who previously submitted a Crime Stoppers tip and is concerned about exposure should monitor for suspicious calls, emails, threats or attempts to obtain additional personal information.
People should not assume that a message is legitimate merely because it refers to an old crime report or contains details that appear to come from a tip, including the scams that can target people through convincing messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Crime Stoppers breach?
It is a cybersecurity incident involving P3 Global Intel, a third-party tip-management platform used by Crime Stoppers programs across Canada. More than 1.5 million historical Canadian tips were exposed.
What information may have been exposed?
Exposed material may include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, licence plates and some banking details connected to rewards. Not every record contained personal information.
Is Toronto Crime Stoppers accepting new tips?
Toronto Crime Stoppers paused phone, website and app-based tip intake on October 21, 2026, while it investigates the breach and looks for a secure replacement process.
Were police databases hacked?
Police services have said the incident involved the third-party Crime Stoppers platform rather than their internal networks or databases.
How should people report a crime during the pause?
For emergencies or crimes in progress, call 911. For non-emergency information, contact the relevant police service directly through its official phone number or online reporting system.
Fact-Checked: Key details were checked against statements from Toronto Crime Stoppers, Waterloo Regional Police and Crime Stoppers International, along with corroborated current reporting on the affected P3 platform.
Disclaimer: People concerned about personal safety or an active threat should contact police directly and call 911 in an emergency.