CRIME STOPPERS TIPS ON THE RISE

The number of tips flowing to Kamloops and District Crime Stoppers keeps
going up, with leads about illegal drugs topping the calls.

Nearly 1,000 tips were called in to the program during 2002, up 56 from the
previous year, Crime Stoppers co-ordinator Pete Netherway said Monday. And
the numbers for this year already look like they will get closer still to
that elusive 1,000 figure, with the calls up to Jan. 20 beating the total
for all of January 2002.

Of 976 calls during 2002, 30 to 35 per cent of them had to do with the
illegal drug trade, he said. That figure is fairly consistent from year to
year.

That might be slightly higher than in other parts of the province that have
Crime Stoppers programs, possibly due to the amount of marijuana plants
propagated in the area.

"We have such a prolific grow area here," he said.

Crime Stoppers calls have never gone down in the program's 22-year history,
Netherway said.

Statistics for 2002 show calls included: illegal drugs, 297 tips; marijuana
cultivation, 116 tips; mischief/damage to property, 41 tips; break, enter
and theft, 27 tips; possession of stolen property, 30 tips; robbery, 20
tips; theft of auto, 18 tips; theft from autos, four tips; and theft over
or under $5,000, 67 tips.

"Possession of stolen property is up considerably," Netherway noted, adding
that could be because people are getting approached about buying stolen goods.

"People have a hate on for crime these days."

Where he'd like to see more tips come in is in the area of theft of
vehicles and theft from autos.

"We don't seem to be able to make a difference," he said. He'd like to see
about 40 tips a year in those areas.

"That's what the epidemic in Kamloops is, theft of auto and theft from
auto," he said.

In the fall of 2002, the Student Crime Stoppers program was rejuvenated, he
said. It previously existed but needed a teacher liaison to keep it going,
which was extra work for school staff. Instead, the revamped program will
consist of posters and Netherway visiting schools to talk to students about
calling in tips on their own.

Grades 6, 7 and 12 are targeted.

Since the Crime Stoppers program began in Kamloops in 1984, more than
10,000 calls with tips on crimes have been recorded, he said.

"It's nice to get over the 10,000 mark."