Vic: Record arrests from Crime Stoppers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2004
Vic: Record arrests from Crime Stoppers

MELBOURNE, Aug 9 AAP - The Victorian Crime Stoppers program has recorded its highest
arrest rate since it was set up 17 years ago, with police nabbing 720 people after calls
from the public.

Victoria Police today hailed the results from the crime-fighting program, releasing
new research showing it was one of the most successful of its type in the world.

During 2003-4, police arrested 720 people after calls to Crime Stoppers - 88 more than
the previous year.

More than 30,000 calls were made during the year.

Police laid 2,927 charges and recovered $1.9 million worth of property and $8.1 million
in drugs as a result of tip-offs to Crime Stoppers.

Information received resulted in a homicide charge being laid, the busting of an international
credit card forgery and fraud syndicate, and a man being charged with a string of armed
robberies.

Victoria Police deputy commissioner (specialist operations) Peter Nancarrow said the
figures highlighted the importance and effectiveness of reporting crime to Crime Stoppers.

"These arrest figures are remarkable," Mr Nancarrow said.

"They clearly illustrate that people are prepared to fight crime and give information
to the police."

An independent study by the Australian Institute of Criminology has found that the
number of Crime Stoppers calls which led to arrests in Victoria was double that of Britain.

In the study, criminologist Dennis Challinger found that 98 per cent of Victorians
would use Crime Stoppers to report information about an offence.

Crime Stoppers had a 94 per cent recognition rate, he found.

The ratio of arrests to calls in Victoria was 1.9 per cent - almost double the one
per cent in Britain.

Crime Stoppers was introduced in Victoria in 1987 and has since been adopted around
the rest of Australia.

The Crime Stoppers number is 1800 333 000.

AAP mp/dk/bes/sdw

KEYWORD: CRIMESTOPPERS

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