Pubdate: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 Source: Kansas City Kansan (KS) Website: http://www.kansascitykansan.com/ Address: P.O. Box 175002, Kansas City, KS 66117 Contact: 2001 Kansas City Kansan Fax: (913)342-8620 Author: Bruce Schuknecht RISING KCK DRUG SEIZURES COUNTER METRO TREND While local police say city drug seizures have jumped this year, drug confiscations area-wide may be down. According to Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers' recent figures, drug seizures by various police agencies dipped below $1 million during 11 months this year. Results from its Crime Tips, which get passed along to law enforcement, however, may represent but a slice of the area's total drug picture. Here in Kansas City, Kan., "Our seizures are way up this year," said KCK police Lt. Douglas Hansen of the department's vice and narcotics unit. "We've seen a lot of crack, meth and some heroin." Hansen also said unit officers have seen more people using club drugs like Ecstasy this year. Throughout the region, nearly half of the non-profit agency's estimated 4,600 tips logged this year involved complaints about illegal drugs, said KC Missouri police Sgt. Craig Sarver, coordinator of crime stoppers. Hotline operators pass on the tips to appropriate law officers. This is the first year in a while that the sheer volume of tips have not yielded record for combined recoveries of drugs and stolen property, records show. "For the last six years, this is first year we haven set a record high in property and narcotics," he said. "This is the first year we haven't beat the previous record." The group, which is part the larger Crime Stoppers International, as of November, recorded about $1.17 million in seizures of narcotics and stolen property. That is short of last year's estimate total of $2.05 million, he noted. As of last month, total tips yielded $844,945 in narcotics, which is about $157,000 less than 2000 drug seizures. Totals are based on nominal street values, use by police. Sarver said. Coke or crack typically sells for about $120 a gram, each, a gram of pot for $7. But the coordinator stressed that this year's drop in the number of separate, weighty scores doesn't convey a noteworthy trend, because seizures depend on tips. And one good one can skew the whole picture. They can come via the phone or e-mail. A dozen police agencies participate in crime stoppers, its offices staffed by volunteers and employees assigned from various departments, he noted. Earlier this year, one worker passed a hotline tip to police about a suspected drug operation in KCK. Eventually, local drug officers raided the house near 20th and Quindaro streets, he said, and agents seized about $55,000 in narcotics, and also two digital scales. Surprisingly, the sergeant said, most of the 816-474-TIPS hotline callers don't seek rewards for fruitful information. "At least 95 percent are not interested in rewards," he said, noting that some tipsters may just want justice. Someone dear a caller knows may have been hurt by drugs, he remarked. Still, if a complaint yields results, tipsters who can remain anonymous can be eligible for a reward from $25 to $1,000. Thus far this year, tipsters earned nearly $40,000 in rewards, the group reported. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth