There's some crazy stuff happening in the US. Mass murders, gun control, the mentally ill! The shootings in El Paso and in Dayton, Ohio could sadly be the tip of an iceberg and we could see more of these tragedies as the presidential election in 2020 gets nearer. Especially, as the vitriol that is part of these campaigns begins to ratchet up, it could really trigger even more of these terrible events.

As tragedies play out around the world involving kids from the States to Canada, to South America and beyond, Greg discusses the key issues and also touches on the passing of one of the earliest Crime Stoppers Coordinators from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Greg MacAleese, the founder of Crime Stoppers discusses his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease, its impact and the future for him and the MacAleese Files.

The tragic murder of Michael Carmen was the catalyst for the world’s most effective anti-crime program, Crime Stoppers. Now, more than 40 years later, almost 2.5 million major crimes have been solved and more than $10 billion worth of stolen property and narcotics seized. This is the story of Michael’s murder straight from the founder of Crime Stoppers and retired Albuquerque Detective, Greg MacAleese.

Global Security Expert, Charles "Chuck" Andrews, CPP from Houston, Texas joins Greg and Ron to discuss cybersecurity, fraud and what we can expect in the future. From the internet-of-things, to toasters that spy on you as well as the role that Crime Stoppers can play, Chuck shares his wealth of knowledge and experience.

Crime Stoppers Coordinator, Ryan Ehalt from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada talks candidly about his unique and brazen (and hugely successful) approach to fighting crime through social media (and bowties!).

Crime Stoppers programs and interested parties can join Ryan at his new Facebook page: Facebook Strategies for Crime Stoppers Programs to Solve More Crime

Ryan can also be contacted at [email protected]

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I didn’t always live in New Mexico. In fact, I was born in Canada. My dad was the senior armaments officer for the Royal Canadian Air Force. We moved throughout Canada according to his postings and the projects he was working on at the time. He was a brilliant guy with only a high school education but was as sharp as a razor. I was very lucky to have had a great dad who was not only highly intellectual but was always present in my childhood and was there for me when I needed him. It was my dad that instilled in me the first notions of the importance of looking out for others.

My favorite memories, outside of Crime Stoppers, center around the time spent as a patrol officer and field investigator in downtown Albuquerque.

The area was rich with characters and wild events.

In particular, the downtown area has traditionally harbored a number of winos and homeless people, each experiencing their own unique challenges to life.In the mid-70’s there were two notable watering holes for these folks, namely The Federal Bar and the Cross Keys Lounge.  The Federal Bar was located on the South Side of Fifth Street, just off Central Avenue.  The Cross Keys was on the Northside of Fifth Street. 

It was my very first day on the street and I was out of the academy maybe three days when the brass put me on a walking beat covering Central Avenue South to Iron Avenue. 

I ended up at the Federal Bar at 10 in the morning. There were about 100 people drinking and ordering various cheap drinks such as Thunderbird wine and Ripple wine, which were favorites in those days.

The proximity of New Mexico to the Mexican border has always meant a steady stream of drugs and illicit trade passing through its largest city, Albuquerque. An example of the border’s impact on crime was the epidemic of stolen motor vehicles back in the 1970’s. A car could be stolen at 9am in the morning and before the owner left work that evening and discovered their car missing, it would have already crossed the Mexican border. Often these stolen vehicles would be exchanged for drugs or stolen weapons.

The city of Albuquerque has always been in a state of flux. Back in the 70’s lots of drugs were coming up from Mexico adding to the despondency of residents and law enforcement agencies. This was exacerbated with interstate corridors I-40 and I-25 funnelling a transiency of people moving east or west through Texas, California and Arizona or northward from Mexico. In decades past, this migration often saw people run out of money in Albuquerque. This would in turn feed the city's predominance of robberies, stolen cars, prostitution and drugs.