Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 Source: North Bay Nugget (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 North Bay Nugget Contact: http://www.nugget.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2226 Author: Ken Sitter CRIME STOPPERS TIPS LED TO 33 ARRESTS IN '06 $7,500 Paid Out To 15 Callers Chalk up another 33 people arrested and charged thanks to tips to Near North Crime Stoppers last year. "There were no major records set in the past 12 months but it was still a busy time," said Jean Lemieux, Crime Stoppers co-ordinator for the North Bay Police Service. More than 550 tips were received, Lemieux said, and in addition to those people charged, more than 150 files are open and under investigation thanks to those tips. Of those tips, 108 were directed to North Bay police, 121 to the joint drug unit, 52 to North Bay and Powassan Ontario Provincial Police detachments, and the remainder to West Nipissing police, the RCMP, the Ministry of Natural Resources and other enforcement agencies. Approximately 40 per cent of the tips were drug related and led police to the recovery of $350,000 in illegal drugs, Lemieux said. Last year's tips brings the total tips to Near North Crime Stoppers during the past 19 years to 10,344. Though Crime Stoppers is best known as paying cash rewards for anonymous information, only 15 of last year's tips involved rewards, with about $7,500 paid out, said Const. Simon Moussa, the program's OPP co-ordinator. That indicates most callers are more interested in justice than in money, he said. "That's about half of the record amount paid out just two years ago," Moussa said, noting Crime Stoppers set a record for the amount of illicit drugs recovered that year with a total estimate of more than $9 million. Lemieux said since the start of the program, information on illegal drug activities has dominated the type of tips received. Since Crime Stoppers protects the identity of its callers, police cannot disclose what cases have been successfully closed as a result of tips, he said. Such disclosure would be great advertising for Crime Stoppers, but undercut the effectiveness of the program, he said. Crime Stoppers will have a display at Northgate Shopping Centre this weekend, featuring an appearance by Nipper, the crime-fighting dog and the program's mascot. The program's annual fundraising Jail-a-thon will be held at Northgate April 27, and has set a target of $20,000. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek