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.