DRUG LINE SPARKS TIPS

The lines are open and people are calling.

City police say a new drug tip line is getting a good response from
Hatters, maybe even greater than what police expected.

"There's been more response than we expected, we were not sure exactly how
it was going to work but we're certainly quite pleased with how it's
progressing," said police spokesperson Const. Dellrae Sharpe.

The tip line is part of a police campaign to crack down on drug activity in
the Hat.

The tip line is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week and differs
from Crime Stoppers in that the calls are answered by police instead of
citizen volunteers.

If the caller's information helps police, Sharpe says the caller could
qualify for a cash reward.

"It's working very well so far. They've been happy with the amount of calls
received to date," she said, adding it's not known how long the phone line
will remain in operation.

"We initiated the line to see what kind of response we get, and the number
of calls we get will dictate how long it will be up and running."