Cash for Crime Tips : 2 Littlerock Students Earn Rewards for Tip on BB Gun

On the first day of a new cash-for-crime-tips program in the Antelope Valley Union High School District, two students were each awarded $25 for turning in a classmate who was arrested for carrying a BB gun on campus, school officials said Thursday.

The Littlerock High School junior, a 17-year-old boy whose name was not released because of his age, was arrested by campus police and released to his parents. He was cited with a misdemeanor firearm violation, according to a sheriff’s deputy. A BB gun is not considered a firearm.

“Security was advised (by his peers) that there was a young man with a weapon in his waistband,” said Antelope Valley school board President Billy Pricer. School police searched the student and found the gun and a loaded clip in his pocket, Pricer said.

The names of the students who turn in their gun-toting classmates are confidential under the new system, which allows students to pass on crime tips to administrators or call a hot line.

On Wednesday, the Antelope Valley school board members voted unanimously to offer the $25 rewards to students who provide information about peers who paint graffiti on campus or bring weapons and illegal drugs into class. The tips must lead to an arrest and the confiscation of guns or drugs.

Students throughout the five-high school district Thursday expressed surprise and mixed feelings about the new tip program.

For a lousy $25, Bryon Allert said, he’d never turn “snitch.”

The 15-year-old Littlerock High freshman said he refuses to sell out under the new reward system.

A few miles away, however, Beverley Dibble, of Palmdale High, said a lot of kids support the program. “They don’t want to be killed and they don’t want their friends to be hurt,” said the 14-year-old freshman.

Some students hoped the program could eventually make their schools safer because they believe weapon and drug possession will drop.

Josh Brown, 15, a Palmdale High sophomore, said that fear of retaliation would not stop him or some of his friends from providing tips. He said he sees more drugs and guns on campus these days and doesn’t like it.

His principal, Darrell Havens, agreed. “The kids don’t want weapons and drugs on campus,” he said.

For others like Bryon, $25 is simply not enough to possibly put their lives in jeopardy by ratting-out a friend. They fear that gang members will retaliate against snitches.

“You’re risking your life for $25,” said Angela Villa, a Palmdale High freshman, who said she couldn’t understand why someone would even think about doing it.

A few students laughed when told about the $25 reward.

While discussing the issue at Palmdale High during lunch with a group of friends, Caressa Frias shouted “$25 ain’t even enough to buy a pair of jeans.” And freshman Robert Usedon said it would take at least $150 for him to come forward with information on one of his friends.

Drugs and guns have been a recurring problem at Palmdale, said senior Jennifer Perron. But the 17-year-old said she would first try to talk her friends out of carrying guns or using drugs before turning them in.

“If you’re going to narc on somebody, they’re going to find out,” said Jennifer. Others agreed that rumor and gossip travel quickly around campus.

While some students agreed that some classmates will participate in the program, they believe that it will do little, if anything, to curb the amount of guns and drugs that find their way into student lockers.

Kids often carry guns to protect themselves, several said. “One of my friends brought a gun because a bunch of people wanted to jump him,” said Aaron Ramey, a freshman from Palmdale High.