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Jail and Bail hits Exeter town hall
Did you hear the one about the physiotherapist who was charged with hanging around several joints a day?
By Gerard Creces
Friday May 09, 2008
Did you hear the one about the physiotherapist who was charged with hanging around several joints a day?
Well, that’s just one of the many trumped-up charges being heard at the Exeter Town Hall May 14, as Huron County Crime Stoppers hosts their much anticipated Jail and Bail.
“The Jail and Bail is where we get volunteers from the community to be arrested,” said Shawn McFalls, Crime Stoppers police coordinator.
After a mock-trial, the sorry volunteers (all guilty) are holed up in the makeshift hoosegow with nothing but a telephone so they can raise the necessary bail money to free themselves.
There are 29 Huron County volunteers willing to face indefinite incarceration in the name of fundraising.
“We’ve got several politicians this year,” he said. “Area mayors, the warden of the county and we’ve got several business owners.”
And even the long arm of the law itself isn’t free from the judge’s gavel. OPP Inspector Dan Grant will serve his stint behind bars as well, proving that no matter who you are or what you do, Crime Stoppers will make you pay.
As for how much you’ll pay, McFalls said each volunteer is to raise $500 in pledges for their bail money.
With a goal of roughly $14,000, the fundraiser provides a big boost for the non-profit organization. Huron County Crime Stoppers receives no help from government agencies. McFalls puts it plainly, “If we don’t raise money, we have no program.”
Funds raised by the Jail and Bail go towards money for tipsters, promotional programs and also to cover the day to day expenses of the organization.
While nobody has ever been held overnight, McFalls said it might be nice for a change.
“As long as they’ll phone people to raise money for (Crime Stoppers), we’ll hold them as long as they want,” he laughed.
The last Jail and Bail was held in October of 2006 in Goderich. McFalls said moving the event around the County is a great way to keep it fresh.
“We try to move it around,” he said. “We don’t want people to get bored with it.”
The Jail and Bail runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In the case of bad weather, the event will be located at the South Huron Rec. Centre.
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