Pubdate: Sat, 12 Jan 2005
Source: Chatham This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Chatham This Week
Contact: http://www.chathamthisweek.com/contact.php
Website: http://www.chathamthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/719
Author: Brian Cleeve

STOPPERS' WORK YIELDED $3 MILLION MORE IN DRUG SEIZURES

An extra $3 million in drugs were seized in 2004 thanks to tips to 
Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers.

Statistics released by the organization show that $7.35 million was 
recovered in 2004 compared to $4.2 million in 2003.

Const. Dave Bakker, the Chatham-Kent Police Service representative to Crime 
Stoppers, says drugs drive many of the crime statistics.

"Drugs are the reason some people commit crimes. They commit break ins to 
get money for their habit," said Bakker.

Bakker said the numbers for Chatham-Kent are better than in larger centres 
such as Peel and Durham Regions.

"We enjoy an excellent rapport with the public and the media here," he said.

While many of the calls are related to drug crimes, there are also many 
others for violent crimes. Bakker said that Crime Stoppers received 75 
calls concerning a violent death on Sandys Street last April, and 32 calls 
relating to an assault at a party on Grand Avenue in November. Property 
recovered in 2004 was valued at $655,175 compared to $348, 430 the previous 
year.

There were 744 calls in 2004 compared to 712 in 2003.

The number of charges laid were down from 991 in 2003 to 504 per cent in 2004.

Chatham-Kent Police Service Chief Carl Herder says the charges in 2004 were 
on a "grand scale" with some topping $1 million or $ 2 million at a time.

Herder said Crime Stoppers is a valuable tool to the community.

"In the last four years, they have helped to get $25 million in drugs off 
the streets of Chatham-Kent."
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