As half of Berkeley's homicides this year remain unsolved, police are urging community members to come forward to help investigators close the cases.

They say it is often a piece of information from a community member that can make or break an investigation and often turn a "cold case" into an arrest and conviction.

So far in 2008, there have been ten homicides and there have yet to be arrests in five of the cases. In two of the 2008 cases, information given to the police by members of the community allowed them to solve the case.

When UC Berkeley student Christopher Wootton was allegedly stabbed by Berkeley resident Andrew Hoeft-Edenfield, 20, in the parking lot of sorority Chi Omega well before dawn on May 3, police were able to make an arrest within a few days because witnesses came forward with information.

Similarly, when Berkeley resident Maceo Smith was shot on May 13 on Durant Avenue near Top Dog, police say information provided enabled them to quickly make an arrest.

In cities neighboring Berkeley, participation from community members has also played a role in solving cases.

From the moment the murder is committed, the first 48 hours of the investigation are critical to acquiring information necessary to close a murder case, said Emeryville police Officer Brian Head.

"The first 48 hours is typically when you get the best lead data," he said. "That is when most people remember what happened the best. After that, that is when people get more fearful of when they want to be involved."

While community members have contributed to investigations, Berkeley police Officer Andrew Frankel said that refusing to give police information related to a murder is "not uncommon." The success of an investigation hinges on people's willingness to become involved, he said.

According to Frankel, victims have told police they knew the person who shot them, but refused to reveal the criminal's identity due to their allegiance to the no-snitching code.

"The thought that talking with police is considered snitching ... is so prevalent," he said. "It often makes getting information from victims difficult."

Although he agreed that dealing with uncooperative witnesses severely hampers murder investigations, Head denied the prevalence of the no-snitching code in the Bay Area, deeming it an East Coast phenomenon. Instead, he said the fear of retaliation is the primary reason that witnesses are reluctant to speak with police.

"They are typically afraid of retaliation, whether it be from the suspect or from friends or family of the suspect," he said.

Six months ago, in an effort to encourage community involvement in crime prevention, the Berkeley police department partnered with Bay Area Crime Stoppers, a non-profit that offers $2,000 rewards to people for anonymously providing information that leads to the arrest of criminals.

Police encourage members of the community to share information with the police by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or the Berkeley Police Department at 510-981-5900.

Tags: HOMICIDE, INVESTIGATION