40 drug dealers charged in triumph for tip-off line

Published on Monday 30 March 2009 09:57

NEARLY 40 alleged drug dealers were charged by police after being shopped by members of the public calling the Crimestoppers hotline.

Calls to the 24-hours a day hotline have been cited by police as a "vital tool" in both making arrests and building up a picture of drug-dealing activity.

Neighbours of drug dealers are understood to be behind many of the calls, while other drug traffickers are said to be responsible for some of the tip-offs as they seek to take out rivals.

Violent offenders were among 151 arrests made by officers using Crimestoppers information between last April and February, new figures have revealed.

Officials from the Crimestoppers charity pass on an average of five "actionable" pieces of intelligence every day – those believed to be strong enough to lead to an arrest.

A total of 37 alleged criminals involved in drug trafficking and supply were charged during the ten-month period. Another 31 people were arrested for drug possession, while the calls also led to the seizure of 92,505 of illegal substances.

Adam Findlay, chairman of Crimestoppers, pointed to the anonymity offered to callers by the service as the reason for its success.

He said: "We're delighted with these figures. Our key purpose is to provide a way for people to contribute intelligence about criminal activity without having to go to the police.

"Drugs are one area where Crimestoppers is particularly effective and I know that the police rely heavily on the information we receive."

Crimestoppers has also been successful in helping to catch drunk drivers during the past ten months, with 18 charged by police following a hotline call.

Mr Findlay added: "A lot of people who call have reasons why they do not want to go to police, but they are concerned about their community and want to help. We are the bridge that allows them to do that and know they are completely anonymous.

"We've had police from Lothian and Borders call us and ask for a name of a person who called in information and we tell them 'no'. We're an independent charity and in our 20-year history we've never broken that vow of anonymity."

Between last April and February, calls to Crimestoppers also resulted in stolen goods worth 20,280 and 29,970 in cash being recovered from alleged criminals.

Mr Findlay, the former chairman of Radio Forth who nows runs the Wave 102 station in Dundee, added: "As well as the arrests, the calls also provide vital intelligence for police that may not lead to charges until a year or more down the line.

"It helps the police know what's going on in communities."

A police spokesman said the figures proved how valuable the service was in solving crime.

"The force receives a substantial amount of intelligence through Crimestoppers," he said. "We would urge anyone who wishes to report crime anonymously to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where information received is treated in the strictest confidence."

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