Pubdate: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 Source: The Hobart Mercury (Australia) Contact: http://www.themercury.com.au/ Copyright: News Limited 1998 Author: Georgia Warner TIPS TURN TIDE ON CRIME THE value of illegal drugs seized by Tasmania police after tip-offs to Crime Stoppers has soared by 350% in the past year. The information also contributed to a record amount of arrests and recovery of stolen property in Tasmania during 1997-98. Calls to Crime Stoppers netted $315,000 worth of drugs - mainly cannabis and heroin - for the year, a massive increase on the $90,000 haul from the previous year. At the same time, the value of stolen property recovered has surged to $98,000, up from $77,000. Arrests attributed to Crime Stoppers information have doubled for the year - 209 people were charged with a total 706 offences, to give Tasmania a better Crime Stoppers arrest-rate than the main states, according to Inspector David Chambers from Tasmania Police. He said the total value of drugs and stolen goods recovered since Crime Stoppers was initiated in Tasmania four years ago had now surpassed the $1 million mark. "The eyes and ears of the public are one of our most valuable resources," Insp Chambers said. "People do know what is going on... and Crime Stoppers, by encouraging them to tell us, has become a very valuable investigative tool. What is most encouraging has been the quality of the information we have been receiving. "That is what has allowed us to so significantly increase the number of arrests during the past financial year and seize such a large amount of drugs and stolen property. "We need more of that quality information. The public's assistance is crucial to helping us solve crime." In its first year of operation in 1994, 514 Tasmanians phoned the Crime Stoppers toll-free 1800005555 number and helped police swoop on $178,000 worth of stolen goods and illegal drugs. The tally slipped to $157,000 in 1995-96, but rose to $167,000 last financial year. Crime Stoppers is a dedicated telephone line for receiving information about crime. Calls are neither traced nor recorded, people can remain anonymous and there is the additional lure of a reward for information that leads to an arrest. Rewards worth $9000 were granted last year. The Crime Stoppers board is now preparing to step up its efforts to encourage more Tasmanians to contribute information. The campaign will include switching the annual Crime Stoppers week from October to February next year, to coincide with the cannabis harvest time. - --- Checked-by: Don Beck