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.