Pubdate: Sat, 13 Jan 2001
Source: Chatham This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2001 Bowes Publishers Limited
Contact:  930 Richmond St., Chatham, Ont. N7M 5J5 Canada
Fax: (519) 351-7774
Website: http://www.bowesnet.com/ctw/
Author: Simon Crouch

ALMOST $5 MILLION IN DRUGS RECOVERED BY CRIME STOPPERS

It wasn't the best year ever, but it was so close that the local Crime 
Stoppers organization is extremely pleased with its figures from last year.

And it is planning to raise its profile in a couple of areas this year.

Det. Const. Tom Harris says the year was extremely good, not only in terms 
of the number of arrests led to by Crime Stopper tips, but also the amount 
of the drugs and stolen goods recovered, and recognition by their peers.

"We received eight international awards, as well as the coveted Maria Moon 
Award of Excellence from the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers," Harris 
said in a release.

Over the year 2000, the Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers received 644 calls, 
with tips leading to 237 arrests and 547 charges. That activity led to the 
recovery of more than $600,000 in stolen property and almost $5 million 
street value in drugs.

The total was down a little from the previous year when more than $7 
million was seized but Harris says the figures are still so good local 
Crime Stoppers members are ecstatic.

"We don't look at it as being down, prior to 1997 it was in the $500,000 a 
year range," Harris said. "Anything over $1 million is excellent, there are 
programs our size that would be delighted to recover that level."

Harris says Crime Stoppers wants to raise it's profile this year. It is 
doing that in part with a $25,000 grant. It plans to spend the money on 
some new signs, and on more than 11,000 whistles. Some of the whistles will 
be donated to safety groups, and some will be handed out by the local 
police marine unit.

Harris notes that a lot of boaters aren't aware an audio signaling device 
is now mandatory even in smaller boats.

"Then if (marine patrol officers) pull a boat over on a check and it 
doesn't have a sound device they can give them a whistle instead of a $100 
ticket," Harris said.

"Everyone will benefit, because the boater will be educated, and will be 
happy to avoid a ticket, and Crime Stoppers gets to raise its profile." 
Harris says the high success rate of the local Crime Stoppers program is 
because it has been embraced by the community.

"The public is behind us, and the police do a great job of investigating 
what we give them," Harris said.
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