Nanaimo and District Crime Stoppers is going into Dover Bay Secondary School this month.
Const. Gary O'Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman and Crime Stoppers police coordinator, said he will kick off the program by giving presentations to each age group in the school.
Police were scheduled to talk to students about the program Wednesday (March 7), but due to the teachers' strike, the launch will be rescheduled to another day this month, he said.
The RCMP, working with school administrators, will promote Crime Stoppers through posters around the school and posting 'Crimes of the Week'.
“It's about making the school a safer place,” said O'Brien. “Dover's the first one and then we're just going to work south.”
Last spring, Nanaimo school board asked school staff to help implement the program in all secondary schools on the recommendation of the district's anti-vandalism committee.
An attempt to get the anonymous tip program going in schools has long been a goal of the volunteer organization – several years ago, the group had a member talking with students at Nanaimo District Secondary School, but the initiative stalled.
O'Brien said most internal thefts in high schools remain unresolved, but he hopes advertising the Crime Stoppers program will change this – he predicts that Crime Stoppers tips will increase by at least 10 per cent once the program is implemented in all secondary schools.
“We've talked to enough kids to know that there's kids trafficking in high schools,” he said. “We know assaults go unreported. Well over 99 per cent of the kids in the school really want to make a difference. They don't want to see dope in the locker next to them.”
With Crime Stoppers, students can call in tips or post tips from their laptops and help combat vandalism, bullying and other issues in and around schools – or elsewhere – without giving their names.
The Nanaimo Crime Stoppers program is recognized as one of the most effective and proactive in the province.
Since its inception in 1990, the Nanaimo program has received more than 4,000 tips, which contributed to 430 arrests, the recovery of more than $1 million in stolen goods and helped get nearly $9 million worth of illegal drugs off the streets.
Crime Stoppers can be contacted at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com.