Kelowna

Castanet.net has been presented with the B.C. Crime Stoppers Media Partner of the Year award for 2008 for British Columbia cities of 60,000 or more population. Castanet won the award in 2006.

"Castanet has been a solid and creative media partner of Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers for over six years," says Susan LeBlanc, president of Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers.

Castanet features mug shots of Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon's most wanted, as supplied by Crime Stoppers.

To date, the most-wanted pictures posted on Castanet have prompted 205 arrests from more than 1,500 tips, according to Roxane Nicholas, of Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers.

The Castanet/Crime Stoppers partnership first began about six years ago when Gord Molendyk of North Okanagan Shuswap Crime Stoppers approached Castanet, asking for help in locating wanted criminals.

Shortly thereafter, Castanet approached Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers and launched Kelowna’s Most Wanted, where suspects with outstanding warrants are posted daily.

News Editor, Kelly Hayes, says Castanet's partnership with Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers has been a success from the start.

"Castanet has always been about the community. It is the community's home page and we're proud of what we've been able to accomplish. We've helped put a lot of bad guys in jail and will continue to work closely with Crime Stoppers and the RCMP in keeping our community safe and informed."