CRIME STOPPERS WANTS STUDENTS TO REPORT WEAPONS, DRUG USE

Rewards Of As Much As $1,000 Will Be Given To Those Who Anonymously Call A
School Police Hot Line With Tips

Portland students will be paid up to $1,000 to anonymously report
schoolmates armed with weapons, drinking or using drugs in or around schools.

Under the new Campus Crime Stoppers program, students will be given a
direct hot line to school police.

Mayor Vera Katz held a news conference Tuesday to announce Campus Crime
Stoppers, which will operate similar to the current Crime Stoppers program.
But the telephone number, 916-3222, is a school police number, and the
program focuses on incidents involving young people.

The program, which will pay students an amount based on the severity of the
crime reported, will initially be launched in Portland, Parkrose and David
Douglas school districts.

"It's part of our vision and our commitment to keep our schools safe," Katz
said. "It's not about snitching. It's about doing the right thing."

Similar programs have been started on school campuses nationwide, from
Charleston, S.C., to Thousand Oaks, Calif., and students in Salem have been
paid to turn in students with guns.

Ben Canada, superintendent of the Portland Public Schools; Barbara Rommel,
superintendent of the David Douglas School District; and Peter Norbye,
superintendent of the Parkrose School District, all praised the program,
but students reacted with mixed feelings.

"That would just make everyone narc on their friends," said Nikki Dragoo,
16, a junior at Benson High School.

"It's an OK idea," said Tony Sunseri, 15, a Benson sophomore. "It might
stop some crime."

But Sunseri said it could also lead to wrongful reports and abuse of the
program.

Sarah Ridings, 17, a senior at Reynolds High School, agreed. "People would
try to get money for petty things," she said. "They would cause more
trouble than (the program) would help. Teen-agers are going to do what
they're going to do. When they don't like someone, they're going to lie to
get that money."

Ridings said she would not report crime through the program.

"Because it's not worth the hassle," she said. "You tell someone, and it
wouldn't necessarily help. There's not enough trust between students and
authorities."

Some students said the money could influence actions. "Some people would
never report it no matter what, because they are in a gang or something,"
said Joey Rambo, 15, a Benson freshman. "But if people knew they could get
money for it, that might outweigh (the risk). I would call without a reward
if I knew about it."

Sgt. Larry Linne, who is with the Portland school police, said the district
has procedures in place to ensure that student rights regarding search and
seizure are not violated. The district also will weigh the tips carefully.

"We will have to prioritize what we send officers out on," Linne said.

Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit organization, is privately financed. The reward
money won't come from school or city coffers.

Frank Hooper, a member of the Crime Stoppers board of directors, said
informants would remain anonymous. He said even before Tuesday's
announcement, word of the program leaked out, and one case was solved. He
said he expects that the program will be successful.

At Salem's McKay High School, Principal Rey Mayoral has paid students $30
for information about a weapon, while a tip about vandalism earns students
$10.

In the Charlotte, N.C. area, the program was so successful that it became
in danger of running out of money. Tips from students have led to 175
arrests and have earned rewards ranging from $10 to $300 apiece. In
suburban Los Angeles, students receive rewards ranging from $5 to $50 by
providing information leading to school disciplinary action.

Many of the programs involve the reporting of weapons. In Indianapolis, for
example, students automatically receive $50 for reporting guns in middle or
high schools.

For the past 13 years, a group called Scholastic Crime Stoppers Program has
worked to promote such programs. Started by a police officer at a high
school in Boulder, Colo., the group has responded to more than 800 requests
for information about starting similar programs in the United States,
Canada and Great Britain.

But picking up the phone can pose a dilemma for students.

Last summer, Grant High School students drew criticism after they saw
suspected armed robber Tom Curtis on a post-graduation trip to Mexico.
Students said they didn't report Curtis for a variety of reasons, including
their loyalty to a friend and because of their doubts about the allegations.

Bryan McPherson, 17, a Jefferson senior, said he would prefer to talk to
the students suspected of committing a crime themselves instead of
contacting authorities.

"I don't trust the authorities," he said. "It depends on if someone got
hurt or not."