Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 11/01) - The NWT and Nunavut Crime Stoppers Association used the occasion of their annual general meeting Monday evening to reflect upon the organization's crime fighting history in the North.
"The whole purpose of the organization is to take the bad guy off the street," said Bob Patterson, newly re-elected president for the 12-year-old organization.
Crime Stoppers got its start in 1976 in New Mexico when Michael Carmen, a young gas station attendant was shot dead during a holdup attempt.
Greg MacAleese, the officer assigned to the murder investigation, kept coming up dry.
After six weeks with no leads, he contacted the manager of a local television station and arranged a re-enactment of the crime.
Within 72 hours of showing the televised re-enactment, the criminals were captured and subsequently convicted.
Locally, Crime Stoppers announced that after a few years of taking it easy on the fund-raising side, it was time to replenish the coffers.
In recent years, "we've spent more than we've brought in," said Sgt Phil Johnson, Crime Stoppers Co-ordinator.
"We've been pretty flush financially," he added.
In addition to paying out over $6,000 in "tips" to anonymous tipsters, Crime Stoppers has been "drawing down on its bank balance" by stocking all 43 RCMP detachments with pins, pens and posters all bearing the Crime Stoppers logo and the ubiquitous 1-800-222-TIPS number.
Johnson told the board that an NHL old-timers hockey game scheduled for November will bring in at least $5,000.
The board also took the time to thank Yellowknife Chrysler's Bob Aaltonen, for arranging the loan of the high profile Crime Stoppers PT Cruiser.
The retro-styled, purple vehicle, festooned with Crime Stoppers logos, is the result of a partnership with YK Chrysler and the Elks' Lodge.
