ISSUE 12 25th Anniversary Edition
...without revealing your identity! www.facebook.com/crimestoppers http://twitter.com/crimestoppersUK
We have come a long way in 25 years, with our performance improving steadily year on year while remaining lean and increasingly efficient and sticking to our core business. It is noteworthy that we have not been tempted to diversify or, attractive to many charities, to become lobbyists or political; we have just focused on helping the police to solve crimes through anonymous information – full stop. Instead, we have sought to use technology, innovation and every tool within our means
MICHAEL LAURIE CBE, CHIEf ExECUTIvE
YOUNG PEOPLE
8
to engage an increasingly diverse audience who all take in information and communicate in very different ways. Another noteworthy characteristic is that we have done this without reliance on paid advertising; this is not just about resources (we just could not afford it based on the size of charity we are – small yet national), but also about the importance of persuading the media that they share our cause. This relationship with the media has been a significant achievement.
A BIG THANk YOU . . . . . . . . 3 WHERE IT ALL BEGAN . . . . 4 THROUGH THE AGES . . . . . . 6 YOUNG PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . 8 TAkING INfORMATION . . . 12 BIG IMPACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
BIG IMPACTS
14
PEOPLE WE HAvE HELPEd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 THOSE WHO HAvE HELPEd US. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Published by Crimestoppers Trust, PO Box 324, Wallington, SM6 6BG Designed by kwd:perceptions Crimestoppers is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.
HIGH PROfILE ARRESTS . . 22
The article deadline for the next issue of Connect is: 15th November 2013
WORk OvERSEAS . . . . . . . 24
Please send articles to giselle.lares@crimestoppers-uk.org
INdIvIdUAL CONTRIBUTIONS . . . . . . . . 26
28
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. . . 28 WHAT’S NExT? . . . . . . . . . .40
2 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
WIthout the vItal InformatIon gIven to us by the publIc, the charIty Would not have such posItIve achIevements In helpIng to solve crImes affectIng communItIes across the uK.
at this 25 year point, raising the funds necessary to run the charity, against the background of reducing public funding and general austerity, is more difficult than it has ever been. this is in sharp contrast to our value to policing and society where low cost, low risk actionable intelligence is making an increasingly important contribution to the prevention and detection of crime. Indeed at the time of writing this and during the last acpo crimestoppers Working group of our first 25 years, one officer reported on
a single strand of crimestoppers information which had saved many lives; had the attack been successful, the political consequences could have been serious. this information prompted other officers to report similar, serious successes and it suddenly became apparent that on a regular basis crimestoppers is providing information that is saving lives and helping the police to capture the most serious criminals in the land. these successes are built by the collective effort of a large
number of different groups who all share our determination to engage the individual in the fight against crime; dedicated staff, highly committed volunteers, the corporate partners who enable us to do it, the media who help us reach our audience and the many police officers who work with us to exploit our capability to the full. doing it well is easy with such a widespread supportive coalition. for some years it has been our vision to be nationally significant in the fight against crime; I think that we now are.
A BIG thAnK yoU Crimestoppers is celebrating 25 successful years of helping to catch criminals. A great part of our accomplishment is down to you, the public, who picked up the phone and visited our website to help make this happen. Without your commitment and dedication, the charity’s success wouldn’t be as significant as it is today. With the enormous amount of information we receive from the public, this has led to the arrest and conviction of thousands of criminals across the UK. Since the charity was first founded we have received more than 1.3 million calls. In 1988 when Crimestoppers began, we helped arrest and charge 561 individuals and received 4,900 pieces of actionable information in our first year. Last year (2011/2012) our calls led to 8,097 arrests and we received 95,276 pieces of actionable information. Crimestoppers receive up to 250 calls a day and someone is charged with murder every seven days as a result. 22 people are arrested every day thanks to information you provide to us.
120,000 people have been arrested and charged since we began
1.3million
pieces of actionable information have been passed onto the police
£124million worth of stolen property has been recovered
£272million
Information by mobile forms
Information received by online forms
15% 25% Information received by calls
60%
worth of illegal drugs has been seized
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 3
whereitallbegan
The way we were ThE cONcEpT Of Crimestoppers harks back to 1976 when the murder of a young student in Albuquerque, New Mexico sparked an initiative to offer a cash reward for anonymous information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. The idea gathered momentum and similar American schemes attracted the interest of detectives within the London Metropolitan Police Force in the UK. In London, the murder of policeman, PC Keith Blakelock in the 1985 Broadwater Farm estate riots, provided the catalyst for the introduction of a UK scheme. Witnesses to the riots were afraid to come forward and businessman Michael Ashcroft, now Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, PC, approached the Metropolitan Police, to offer a monetary reward to encourage people to provide information. The vital connections for a UK Crimestoppers initiative were born with the proposition that businesses should support communities and crime-solving through raising money for appeals and rewards. On 4 March 1987 the London Metropolitan Police Policy Committee chaired by Deputy Commissioner, Sir Peter Imbert, agreed in principle to the introduction of a Crimestoppers program within the Metropolitan Police Force. The scheme originally sat in the Police Intelligence System with detectives taking calls; today all calls are taken by civilian Crimestoppers’ staff liaising with the police as appropriate. This has grown from a few scattered locations to an extensive UK and overseas network that is instrumental in stopping criminal activity. Lead Feature January 1988 saw the establishment of the Community Action Trust (CAT), a three-way partnership between the business community, the police and the media. The CAT provided an and its influence in fighting crime anonymous free telephone line to members of the public who wanted to give Also in this issue: information about crime. Rewards were also offered Crimestoppers Trustee and former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the if charges followed. Metropolitan Police, Bill Griffiths, CBE BEM QPM, who, as a Detective Chief In 1995 the Inspector had researched the programme in the USA and was appointed Community Action Trust the project manager for London Crimestoppers, said: “The concept of became Crimestoppers businesses establishing a partnership with the media and the police to Trust; covering the whole help solve crimes in this way was a radical one. We had to overcome the of the UK, the Channel sceptics and convince senior police officers and the Home Office that this Islands and the Isle of Man scheme was critical for the successful fight against crime.” – the only UK charity that helps to solve crime. ISSUE 11 SUMMER 2012
TECHNOLOGY P5 P10 P13 P18
– – – –
A victim of fraud shares her real life story How electronic devices help in the fight against crime Young people get in the know Olympic Coach shoots crime
www.facebook.com/crimestoppers
http://twitter.com/crimestoppersUK
1988 4 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
1995 CONNECT | ISSUE 12
whereitallbegan
Our visiOn
We believe that people and their communities have the right to live without crime and without the fear of crime. our vision is for everybody in the uk, and everybody who knows anything about crimes that affect the uk, to know and trust Crimestoppers and for us to make sure we have the capability to receive the information from them, and pass it to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Our missiOn
our mission is to provide a means to detect, reduce and prevent crime through the provision of information about crimes and criminals to the law enforcement agencies from anonymous sources.
Our values
We define ourselves by the following values. these core characteristics explain who we are and how we should be seen by others;
• TRUSTwORThY • EffECTIVE AND bUSINESS-lIKE • NON jUDgEmENTAl • REAlISTIC
originally set up around areas based on tv regions, we now have 44 regionally based volunteer committees across the uk working in partnership with single police forces. as volunteer numbers grow we continue to set up more new locally focused groups. Crimestoppers specialises in taking information sensitively and anonymously from the public about a range of criminal activities. We also offer this service through our integrity Line to public sector and private companies who
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
want to provide a secure way for their staff to raise issues of internal wrongdoing. With an ever-increasing number of communication channels available to the public, we have adopted new technologies and strengthened our online and social media presence. the Crimestoppers website receives an average of 145,000 unique users a month, while our facebook and twitter pages are key to publicising our campaigns and the day-to-day work of the charity with a combined following of over 25,000 in 2012.
1988
oundation f of Community aCtion trust
1988
i ntroduCtion of 0800 555 111 number
1995
harity renamed C Crimestoppers
2005
aunCh of L most Wanted
2005
ationaL 24/7 n CaLL Centre
2006
aunCh of L operation Captura
2007
i ntegrity Line LaunCh – first CommerCiaL venture
2008
rimestoppers C neW Look Website
2009
eW serviCe n assures anonymity in aLL uk prisons
2010
i ntroduCtion of fearLess youth brand
2011
k riots deLiver u unpreCedented ContaCt from the pubLiC
2012
fearLess and Crimestoppers go mobiLe
2012
Just text giving serviCe CSUK01
2013
5th 2 anniversary
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 5
throughtheages
THROUGH THE From 1988 the face of Crimestoppers has grown and developed into the modern brand it is today. From our first Community Action Trust logo, our early publications of Connect and print-only versions of our Annual Review to our bi-annual Connect magazine and interactive online review; there have been many visual developments over the years. Our evolvement shows the charity’s constant desire to be forward-thinking and continuously improving on our past strengths and achievements.
6 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
throughtheages
E AGES CATCHING CRIMINALS ON THE COSTA DEL SOL
PROMOTING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF CRIMESTOPPERS AND ITS SUPPORTERS ISSUE 10 // WINTER 2012 The only charity helping to solve crimes
www.crimestoppers-uk.org
n o i t a r Ope ptura Ca PAGE x Title Desc
WHICH STORIES SHALL WE FEATURE?
PAGE x Title Desc
PAGE x Title Desc
PAGE x Title Desc
ISSUE 11 SUMMER 2012
Lead Feature
TECHNOLOGY and its influence in fighting crime Also in this issue: P5 P10 P13 P18
– – – –
A victim of fraud shares her real life story How electronic devices help in the fight against crime Young people get in the know Olympic Coach shoots crime
www.facebook.com/crimestoppers http://twitter.com/crimestoppersUK
We are hugely excited to see what we will look like in another 25 years’ time... www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 7
Becoming Fearless... 1989
1990s
1993
First recorded ecstasy death of Claire Leighton, 16, in a London nightclub. This highlighted the issues with social drug taking amongst young people
The World Wide Web is opened to the public – an invention that will shape the way the world communicates
Murder of James Bulger sparks controversy on the age of criminal responsibility
2005
Crimestoppers introduces a ‘Keep it Safe’ campaign to support the curriculum
2005
Crimestoppers introduces ‘Me Myself and Eye’ as a resource for KS2
2005 First published use of the word ’sexting’; the means by which explicit images are sent in photos over text messaging
2004
Crimestoppers launches ‘Why Should I?’ campaign for young people
2007
2007 Panic about gang-related crime as 11 year old Rhys Jones is shot dead by a gang in Liverpool
Crimestoppers launches its youth brand ‘Shadow CS’ for those aged 11-16
What’s next... Fearless is taking on the challenge of social networking with over 2,800 Facebook likes and over 2000 followers on Twitter at the end of 2012. With the plan of introducing an online chat system, the opportunities are growing to get the brand name heard. Media and online platforms are crucial with figures that 15-16 year olds spend an average of: • 1.6 hours online each day • 1.1 hours on mobile phones (not phone calls) a day • And the top websites are Facebook and YouTube
8 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
2012
Fearless launches RUFearless App
2012
Fearless launches mobile site
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
1995
1993 Racist murder of 18 year old Stephen Lawrence. His murder launched an inquiry into institutional racism within the police
Leah Betts, the schoolgirl who took an ecstasy tablet and then drank seven litres of water in 90 minutes, which put her into a coma and eventually resulted in her life support machine being turned off. This was another warning of the prevalence of drugs amongst young people
1995 Fear over youth violence as riots break out in Brixton over the death of Wayne Douglas in police custody
2004-2005 The media begin to broadcast stories of ‘happy slapping’ by which assaults are filmed on mobile phones and then sent around to friends or online In 2007, Crimestoppers launches ‘Your Call’ DVD to be used by schools as part of the Citizenship curriculum. This DVD includes a section on Happy Slapping
2008 Knife crime hits the news as concern grows over the number of young people carrying knives In the same year, Crimestoppers launched a text service for young people to reveal information on knife crime
2011 London riots cause panic over youth crime Fearless launches second YouTube video ‘The Cycle Continues’ in 2012
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
2003
2000s
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) are introduced to prevent and control low level offending
The social networking age – MySpace, Facebook and Twitter launch, offering new media platforms and a craze that will develop across the whole decade and beyond
2008
2009
The ‘honey trap’ murder of Shakilus Townsend shocks the public on gang-related crime
The British Crime Survey acknowledges young people for the first time in its experimental survey for those aged 10-15
2011
Fearless launches first YouTube video ‘Don’t let it be too late’
2010
Crimestoppers launches Fearless as its new youth brand
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 9
New for 2012 ‘‘
‘‘
The fearless training by the team has been invaluable in helping us support young people in schools. Sarah O’Connor – School Nurse in Lambeth
Crimestoppers training professionals working with young people to be Fearless against crime.
How many?
327 professionals trained Since April 1st 2012
10 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Who? School Safety Officers School Nurses Sports Coaches Teachers Community Wardens Anyone who is already working with young people.
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
What are we delivering? The training covers the following themes; • Review and recap of Crimestoppers • Introduction to our youth service and activity • Equip delegates with tools and resources
What did they say? 99% of those who have been trained said they 97% liked the Fearless concept and branding of those trained said they would look 87% to incorporate Fearless into the work of those who have attended the training said they found it useful
they are already conducting with young people
Billy’s ‘Be Fearless’ Wish A message from the ‘Billy’s Wish Foundation’ who are working to promote Fearless A year ago we didn’t know that Fearless even existed. Now we are working alongside them to bring down the level of violent youth crime. Our darling Billy lost his life through knife crime when he innocently tried to break up a fight. Since then our world has been turned upside down and we are looking for ways to prevent other families going through the trauma of losing a close family member. We are extremely excited that Fearless has agreed to be part of an online/DVD knife crime prevention program that we are developing for schools in Dacorum, Hertfordshire. This program will be a tribute to Billy. Whilst nothing will ever bring Billy back, it is important to us to both provide the young people of Hemel with the information they need to make natural choices, and also that we can provide them with solutions to concerns they may have. Fearless is an amazing service for children, teenagers and young adults that require help, but are too afraid to tell the police, teachers, close loved ones or friends. The ‘Billy’s Wish’ Team consists of Paul Dove, Tanya Whitney, Sally Masson, Jan Maddern, Mark Mitchell and Mike Short, all working hard together for this great cause.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 11
takinginformation
Taking informaTion Calls to Crimestoppers were originally taken by the different police force areas across the country. In 1988 our memorable 555 111 number was introduced with calls free on BT, cable and most mobile networks.
In April 2011, a national bureau was established, taking calls around the clock, every day, across the UK, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and New Zealand.
12 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
In 2005 the bureau was established to take calls from the public on a 24/7 basis. Originally staffed by ex-police officers, the bureau is now manned by 45 trained staff members, ensuring callers feel at ease when providing information. The quality of information coming through and the high ensuing arrest and charge rates led to various pilot schemes being run through the bureau. 2009 saw a nine-month pilot for Crimestoppers New Zealand and three years later we are still taking their calls. Anonymity is guaranteed. All information coming through to the bureau, whether it be phone calls or online forms, is not traceable. Calls are not recorded, notes are shredded, forms encrypted and any details potentially compromising a caller’s identity are stripped out prior to the completed call log. A single call or online form can result in a log being sent to the police and various agencies including the UK Border Agency, the Insurance Fraud Bureau and HM Revenue and Customs. Overseas fugitive campaigns like Operation Captura and Operation Zygos means calls from dedicated numbers from countries such as Spain and Cyprus also expand the bureau’s remit. In 2008 a secure texting service was trialled in schools, colleges and youth groups across London. In 2011 the service was withdrawn in favour of mobile online forms after research among young people suggested that SMS was no longer the communication tool of choice. Online forms make up 45% of all material that is forwarded to the police, with 15% of these coming from mobile phones. In 2012 we launched a mini mobile version of the Crimestoppers website and Fearless. org allowing information to be passed on, ‘on the go’. 500 forms were submitted this way in the first month of this service.
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
takinginformation
The original pattern of Fridays and Saturdays as the busiest times for calls has changed. Monday to Thursday sees the highest call volumes, coinciding with the publication of local papers who regularly carry our 0800 555 111 number. Pick up rates of calls are similar to those of a 999 control room with around 95% of all calls coming in being answered.
AVERAgE wEEklY cAll VOlumES Monday – Friday Saturday
800
calls per day
700
calls per day
Sunday
600
calls per day
During the 2011 UK riots, there were
1,000
calls a day
& the number of online forms received by crimestoppers increased by
300%
on 9th August 2011
SHEILA SHIFT LEADER SHEILA HAS WOrKED AT THE BUrEAU SINcE ITS FOUNDATION
Q. What was the bureau like seven years ago? Initially there were just four people taking calls on a typical shift with an hour or two of overlap. All of the team would be sitting together on a central pod. Today we’re set up as a fully functional control room. Q. What’s been the main change? We have grown so much, both in people and calls. Originally we dealt with calls from a handful of police force areas together with mobile phone calls automatically routed through to us. Today with the expansion of the bureau into a nationwide and overseas service, the work is always demanding.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
Q. So what’s your typical day like? As a shift leader, I’ll come in 15 minutes before my shift starts at 7.00am to get a handover from the night shift and I’ll tie up any loose ends that still need resolving. It’s fairly quiet for the first hour, though there will be a steady flow of calls coming through from New Zealand – owing to the time difference. Soon after 8.00am the volume of calls starts increasing and between 10.00am and 11.00am there’s not much let up – especially when there has been a mention on TV. I can see how many calls are coming in, and when it’s hectic, making sure the call agents have enough time to write up and log their reports is essential. Q. What is the best aspect of your job? Getting a result! When we get a call from the police to let us know an arrest has been made, it’s very gratifying. It’s good to know we are making a difference in the fight against crime.
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 13
[ national campaigns ]
s t c a p m i Big a p m i
g i B s t c a p m i i g g i i B B s s t t c c a a p p m m i i g Big impacts Bi cts Big imp Big cts Big impa ts Big im c a a p p m i m Big impacts Big i cts Big im Big actismpBaicgtsimpa p g i m i B g i B throughout our 25 years, we’ve launched a number of national campaigns which have had a major impact not only in bringing offenders to justice but also in helping give victims of crime peace of mind.
The ugly faCe of Crime The charity’s independent status and guarantee of anonymity made us the ideal candidate to help co-ordinate a national network of schemes through which information could be passed on about potentially dangerous clients of sex workers, known as ‘Ugly Mugs’ or ‘Dodgy Punters.’ Working together with the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), and representatives of two associations who work with and provide services for those involved in prostitution, the UK Network of Sex Work Projects and the National Christian Alliance on Prostitution, the campaign was successfully rolled out across the nation and even used during the Ipswich murders investigation in December 2006.
14 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Driving home for Christmas Crimestoppers helped saved numerous lives after more than 50 people were arrested for drink-driving over the festive period, from calls to the charity as part of our first ever national drink-drive campaign in 2002.
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
s t c a p m i g i B s CrimesToppers mosT WanTed t c a a p p m i m i g i g i B B s s t t c c a a p p m acts Big im Big impact p m i g s Big impacts Big impa s t t c c a a p p m gcitmspaBcitgs im Time’sBiupg impac a i p B m i g cts Big impactfors burglars and robbers impa Most Wanted is one of the major successes of the charity; launched in October 2005 and with almost 1,800 wanted individuals arrested to date. It is unique in the way it brings appeals together from across Britain, where the public can play armchair detectives and see who’s wanted in their area, then pass on vital information. So successful is it as a tool in the fight against crime, that 44 different law enforcement agencies across the UK have used it to publicise appeals and help bring the ‘most wanted’ to justice, many of whom are sought in connection with serious crimes including murder, rape, robbery, drug smuggling and assault.
Crimestoppers played a key role in gathering information on counterfeiting and educating the public on how this fuels serious organised crime with the launch of our national campaign in November 2010. With support from various Government Ministers including Minister for Crime Prevention, James Brokenshire and the Home Secretary, Theresa May, the campaign achieved a 133 per cent increase in useful information month on month and the formation of partnerships from both the public and private sector with whom we have continued working and supporting.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
‘‘
The involvement of Crimestoppers in tackling burglary and other crime is of vital importance.
‘‘
Fighting fakes... with a little help from our friends
Crimestoppers launched a ‘time’ themed campaign in December 2009 to gather information on and increase public awareness of domestic burglary and personal robbery, with a specific focus on prolific offenders. The campaign saw a 30 per cent increase in useful information on these crime types year on year and led to a 40 per cent increase in arrests and charges for burglary.
ACPO national lead for the Vigilance Programme, Chief Constable Mick Creedon
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 15
[ CHARITY EVENTs ]
s t c a p m i Big Crimestoppers plans various fundraising events in order for the charity to raise money to continue to support the community. Campaigns are also organised regularly to help raise awareness and to get the necessary information we need out to the public.
A hIghlIghT EVENT from the past 25 years is the Most Wanted Gala Dinner hosted at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel in October 2008. The auction to raise money was hosted by winner of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Christopher Biggins. Guests bid to win an opportunity to meet with stars at the film premiere of Bee Movie in Leicester Square. The audience were entertained by award winning British Asian Muslim stand-up comedian Shazia Mirza. Other successful events include the Crimestoppers Ball in 2002 at the Royal Courts of Justice. Crimestoppers raised over £90,000 in our first event to be held in legal surroundings. Guests Prince Edward, Linda Henry, Victoria Alcock and Graham Cole attended the ball and helped to raise money for the charity. Crimestoppers is honoured to have the backing of sporting starts Ricky Hatton and Richie Woodhall for successful campaigns in the past. Ricky Hatton’s awareness campaign Fight Crime was based in his home town of Tameside and extended throughout Greater Manchester. World champion boxer Richie Woodhall was involved in a campaign based in Telford in 2010 which highlighted how robberies, burglaries and other serious crimes are influenced by the drug trade.
c a p m i g i B s t c a p m i g i B g i s B t c s a t p c m a i p g m i i B g s i t B c s a t c a p m p i m g i i B g i s B t c s a t c a p m gi imp ‘‘ i g i B s t c s a t p c m a i p g m i i B g s i t B s t c a mpac p m i m g i i B g i s B t s c t a c p a Big im impacts Big imp g i B s t c a p m I would encourage local people to have the courage to fight crime without revealing their identity by contacting Crimestoppers.
16 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
‘‘
Ricky Hatton
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
[ IN THE HEADLINEs ]
s t c a p m i Big since 1988 Crimestoppers has hit the headlines time and time again, from early coverage as the Community Action Trust to the present day with the charity achieving an average of 250 pieces of news coverage on a monthly basis.
p m i ‘‘ g i B s t c a p m i g i B s t c s a t p c a m p i m g i i B g i s B t c s a t p c a m p m i m g i i B g i s B t c s a t c p a Big im impacts Big imp pact m g i i B g i s B t c s a t p c a m i p m i g i g B i s B t s c t a c p a m p i m g i i B g i B s t s t c a p m i g i B s t c a imp Operation Captura was first launched in 2006 and is widely considered to be the UK’s, if not the world’s, most successful fugitive campaign.
‘‘
Ben Ando, BBC News Crime Reporter
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
ThE chARITY wAS founded on a three-way partnership between law enforcement businesses and the media which continues today. Our media relations play a key role in ensuring that the Crimestoppers call to action reaches those we set out to help; the public. This is evident through our increasing presence in the media – last year we witnessed a record amount of news coverage, achieving over 3,000 items across TV, radio, print and online, equating to an average of 62 articles every week. Indeed, some of our most successful campaigns have seen an unprecedented level of media interest; with the 2011 Operation Captura launch being covered in the media 397 times and our Most Wanted Fraudsters campaign in 2011 achieving 350 pieces of media coverage.
ON ThE SmAll ScREEN AND RIDINg ThE wAVES As well as featuring in numerous news broadcasts Crimestoppers’ profile has been raised over the years through a host of other TV appearances and cameos. For a number of years the Crimestoppers Wales/Cymru TV programme has aired on ITV Wales, highlighting appeals and encouraging residents to give information, bringing Most Wanted to its televisual form. A similar programme has also aired on BBC East Midlands. We’ve had our history documented on the Crimewatch Roadshow in 2010, which also looked at the current role of the charity in empowering members of the public to play a part in making their communities safer, interviewing the charity’s founder Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC and our current Chief Executive Mick Laurie. In 2012, Crimestoppers featured in a plotline of the iconic Radio 4 series The Archers, which regularly attracts upwards of 4 million listeners.i
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 17
reasonstohelp
REASONS TO H Sally Knox, mother of murdered Harry Potter actor Rob Knox, 18, campaigns against street violence through the Rob Knox Foundation, educating the public and helping young people. “MY fIRST ExpERIENcE of Crimestoppers was many years ago whilst watching Crimewatch on the television. However my work over the past few years has involved me presenting to young people alongside the Met Police who were highlighting the Crimestoppers’ number. It was through talking to the police presenters that I realised if I could highlight this information and get young people to use this service context with my presentations, we could really make a difference. I started doing presentations in schools, youth offending teams and working with young people after my son Rob was fatally stabbed when he was 18 years old. He had gone out for a night with his friends to celebrate finishing filming Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and never returned. This was the motivation for me working with young people. I thought if I could tell Rob’s story and what happened that night, we could talk about the choices young people can make and how the outcomes could have been so different. If I can get one person to make the right choice, Rob would have not died in vain. Youngsters really engage
in my talk as it’s a real life story about a young person. I think Crimestoppers is vital as it gives the public a chance to talk anonymously and fearless is great for young people. The biggest difference I can make is encouraging the service to be used as I think its vital that I get across that no one will ask for personal information and that Crimestoppers is not part of the police. I always say how would you feel if you did nothing and then one of your friends, family or someone you knew got hurt or killed, as in Rob’s case. We would all like to live in a crime free society but I know I cannot change the world. However, my aspiration is to make as many young people as possible pick up the mobile, make that call or email.
Rob Knox (right) with mother Sally and younger brother Jamie
18 | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION
CONNECT | ISSUE 12
reasonstohelp
O HELP
Ann Oakes–Odger is the founder and CEO of the charity KnifeCrimes.Org – an online resource for those affected by knife, gun and gang-related crimes. She explains the driving force behind her work.
“FOllOwINg ThE SENSElESS murder of my beloved son Westley, I was driven to try and reduce the number of families who may otherwise suffer the devastating grief that swept through our family like a tsunami. “Getting involved with Crimestoppers and supporting Fearless is an important way of proactively getting the message out that crime and the use of weapons of any kind is absolutely unacceptable.” Ann successfully campaigned to change the law on knife murder, resulting in a life sentence starting tariff now of 25 years (previously 15 years) and is currently working with Government in her role as founder of KnifeCrimes.Org on further aspects of sentencing as well as all aspects of the impact that crime has on families, communities and society as a whole. We continue to try to bring some form of peace to families like these by getting criminals off of the streets and charged and convicted for crimes they have committed. With your support we can help more and more families across the UK.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION | 19
thosewhohavehelpedus
BACk To The F And Beyond As a Charity, we recognise just how important it is to engage with the public. We are very fortunate that so many groups and individuals share our goals and actively work with us.
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CRImESTOppERS INTEgRITY SERVICES As we already know corporate wrong doing has increasingly featured in media reporting – often with dramatic and long-reaching repercussions. More so than ever, we are responding to the ever-changing climate in which companies operate and provide them with high quality intelligence data. We operate nationally and internationally to meet the needs of our corporate clients.
INTEgRITY LINE Companies are turning to us for support with insider fraud and theft. We work with many global organisations by providing telephone and on-line operations, where employees can pass on information anonymously without fear of detection or retribution. There are different scenarios in which companies may wish to use our Integrity Line services: where there is already evidence of wrong-doing, a wish to apply due diligence processes to suppliers and contractors, where the operation is international; or the requirement to review existing underperforming support-line services. We are extremely sensitive to the demands of each of client and draw upon huge cross-sector experience of the issues, within retail, wholesale, services, and Through strategic partnerships government to tailor bespoke services. with business and public service The service is 24/7, and our operators organisations, we [raise] awareness are highly trained in question handling. Intelligence reporting lies at the heart that a particular activity is wrong of this operation, which is high quality and the damage it causes; this in and makes a significant contribution to itself produces results. reducing and even eliminating corporate wrong-doing.
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E FuTuRE D INTEgRITY cOmmuNIcATIONS Crimestoppers has a long and successful history of working with supporters in the business sector on issues of crime concern. Aside from collecting information that can be used by law enforcement organisations, Crimestoppers messaging encourages individuals to take responsibility and to influence their behaviour. We have expertise in marketing communications, often referred to by clients as campaigns. Through strategic partnerships with business and public service organisations we engage citizens, consumers, customers and employees, raising awareness that a particular activity is wrong and the damage it causes; this in itself produces results. Much of our activity includes digital channel campaign management, social media strategy and management to support marketing activities and our social media monitoring and sentiment analysis has enabled many of our corporate partners to go beyond traditional contact routes. mARkETINg Hub We have created a marketing hub portal for our corporate partners housing a wide range of campaign materials on a variety of crime types so our corporate partners can download communication materials and tailor them to their business requirements and target audience, when needed. This service ensures a quick response to pending client requirements without having to go through third party agencies.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
mAkINg uSE Of INTEllIgENcE ANAlYTIcS The information we generate is used by companies at their discretion. However they often come to us for further guidance. We take raw data and develop analytical reports for our corporate customers, highlighting incidents, patterns and potential trends. Increasingly companies are looking for a ‘whole’ solution and are using our information to review their own Governance, Compliance and Risk policies. This is a key part to formulating preventative strategies with stakeholders within Legal, HR, Communications and Commercial. We work with third party providers to offer end to end solutions to maximise return for companies including awareness and legislation training for staff, company-wide employee surveys; risk audits; and support for Governance reviews. EVENTS AND NETwORkINg We have extensive networks operating at the highest levels. We organise events – including the annual New Scotland Yard Dinner, bringing together law enforcement, communities and companies. As a thought leader in crime detection and reduction, we also organise select events giving our corporate partners and key players the opportunity to share ideas and experiences and access new networks and channels. Venues include the Bank of England and The City of London Police. It is a brilliant way for us to share the latest thinking on any given crime issue and support our partners in starting new conversations.
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Solved cases we can s Crimestoppers has passed on information that has led to the arrest and charge of 120,000 wanted individuals – but due to protecting the anonymity of those passing information to us, we are often unable to speak about cases publically except for a few...
Serial rapiSt: Captured
ThERE hAVE bEEN two occasions where anonymity has been waived, and it is here that we are able to talk about the impact of information passed to Crimestoppers that has led to an arrest and prosecution. We are fully aware that anonymity is our unique selling point and a significant reason why people contact us, but being able to talk about some of our successes gives an indication of how important our service is and the trust people place in us when passing on information. In 2001, the largest manhunt since the search for the Yorkshire
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Ripper was set up to locate a man who had committed a number of sexual assaults – he would become known as the ‘M25 rapist’. That man was Antoni Imiela, who went on a violent, year-long crime spree, when he attacked females – from aged 10 to 52. His harrowing campaign, which started in November 2001, spanned four areas – Kent, Surrey, west London and Hertfordshire. Kathleen Sherwood, a neighbour of Imiela’s, called Crimestoppers and passed on Imiela’s name after he tried to attack her in her own home.
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n shout about
Sherwood then went public with her story and was a witness at Imiela’s trial stating she had contacted Crimestoppers. He was arrested in December 2002 and in March 2004 he was convicted of seven rapes, the kidnap, indecent assault and attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl and received seven life sentences. A more recent incident in 2012 that was aided by Crimestoppers information saw two men sent to prison for importing £34 million worth of cocaine in boxes of pineapples, discovered in a warehouse in Suffolk.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
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£34m cocaine seizure
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Knowing that our information is making a significant contribution to the fight against crime, is a huge motivation for us all.
Frederick Colverson, 56, and Terrance Smith, 57, were jailed for 25 years and 20 years respectively after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. During their trial, a witness told the court that she had contacted Crimestoppers about this incident, which contributed substantially to the prosecution. The public plays a huge role in the success of Crimestoppers, and while we are not always able to toast our successes publically, knowing that our information is making a significant contribution to the fight against crime, is a huge motivation for us all.
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Nowhere to hide ThANkS TO CRImESTOppERS’ fugITIVE CAmpAIgNS
It was in the 1960s that some Brits committing crime in the UK, saw the sunny climate and sandy beaches of Spain as a favourable place to hide and integrate themselves into a growing community of ex-patriots. However, in 1985, things began to change for our ex-pat lawbreakers when Britain and Spain agreed an extradition treaty which was followed in 2004 by European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) - making it easier to bring British criminals back into the UK’s criminal justice system. Taking advantage of this, Crimestoppers launched its first fugitive campaign in 2006 alongside the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Spanish authorities and the British Embassy, profiling ten suspected criminals, who had evaded the British justice system. The ten were believed to be hiding amongst the sandy beaches of the Spanish Costas, with the project given the name, Operation Captura. The three-month pilot saw the ten individuals appear on our Most Wanted website, which had been launched a year earlier in 2005. Launch day of the campaign generated over one million visits on our website and within the first month, public calls had given us 125 pieces of actionable information to pass onto SOCA. The campaign in Spain has gone from strength-to-strength, with six further appeals launched over a five year period. This has seen a total of 65 suspected criminals appealed for, with 49 of these located and arrested (over 70 per cent) to date. On a number of occasions, there have been arrests on the day of launch, which is an indication that once the public is aware of these wanted criminals hiding in their town or area, they are quick to pass on the information that will lead to their arrest. The success of Operation Captura prompted a second fugitive
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We will not rest until all of those on our fugitive campaign lists are caught... you can run, but you cannot hide. LORD ASHCROFT, KCMG PC
campaign to be launched in 2010, Operation Return, this time focusing on the Netherlands, and more specifically, Amsterdam. Two appeals in total have been made since the campaign’s launch, featuring six subjects in each, with five arrests out of 12 – with one of those arrested in Lagos, Nigeria. The response and success of the Spanish and Dutch campaigns gave Crimestoppers and its partners plenty of weight to seek out other countries that UK fugitives are using as a base to evade capture. In September last year, Crimestoppers launched a campaign with SOCA, the British High Commission and Cyprus Police (CYPOL) to launch Operation Zygos on the island. Nine individuals were placed into the public domain across the whole island, and within three weeks of its launch, a third of the subjects were arrested. The publicity of our campaigns has always been key to their success, and the media has played a huge part in our positive results. Media outlets such as Sky News, the BBC and the Sun have been big supporters of our campaigns, while regional media has also played a key role, with local radio and newspapers spreading the word about the
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
campaign, as well as Spanish and ex-pat media. This media coverage has also been supported by some ringing endorsements, with the most recent from the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, who described Operation Captura as “one of the world’s most successful campaigns in tracking down fugitives abroad.” Speaking about the fugitive campaigns, Founder and Chairman of Crimestoppers, Lord Ashcroft, KCMG PC, wished to express his thanks to the public and reassure them that the work on bringing these fugitives to justice, would continue until they were caught. He said: “I am immensely proud of the results we have achieved since launching our first fugitive campaign in Spain back in 2006 and must thank the public for their continuing support in our fight against crime abroad. “To see that almost 60 wanted suspects have been located as a result of the work of Crimestoppers, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and international law enforcement, is a staggering figure. However, we will not rest until all of those on our fugitive campaign lists are caught, and I will reiterate the message that I have used many times for these campaigns, and that is, you can run, but you cannot hide.”
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CRImESTOppERS hAS EVOLVED CONSIDERAbLY IN ThE mANY YEARS wE hAVE bEEN RuNNINg. wE ASkED TwO Of OuR LONg-STANDINg VOLuNTEERS TO gIVE ThEIR VIEwS ON whAT ThEY ThOughT ThE bIggEST ChANgES hAVE bEEN.
Individual DARREN STEVENS, a Crimestoppers stalwart in Gloucestershire since 1995, felt that the introduction of the ability to pass information online anonymously has been significant but one thing that hasn’t changed is “the commitment and resolve of our volunteers”.
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One thing that hasn’t changed is the commitment and resolve of our volunteers
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mARgARET hYDE, who has been involved with the charity in a number of guises since the late ‘80s in both Cambridgeshire and Essex, highlighted the introduction of a national call centre operating day and night as of particular benefit. Also, “the Most Wanted site has done wonders for Crimestoppers profile which now has greater clarity about being independent from the police.”
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ThIS IS ThE SIxTh YEAR Of OuR VOluNTEER AwARD, A REwARD whIch REcOgNISES AND hIghlIghTS ThE SIgNIfIcANT cONTRIbuTIONS mADE bY OuR VOluNTEERS, ThROughOuT ThE uNITED KINgDOm, whO hAVE hElpED TO pROmOTE cRImESTOppERS IN ThEIR lOcAl AREA.
l Contributions All the judges commented on the quality and contribution of the individuals commended; ‘Each represent excellent and different examples of volunteering and we should recognise and highlight these widely’
Of course there can only be one winner; this individual received the following comments from the judges, ‘outstanding example of grass roots engagement in hard to reach areas of the community’ We’re delighted to reveal that the winner of the Volunteer Award for 2012 is Mac Jarvis from the West Midlands.
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mAc JARVIS West Midlands
runner up chRISTINE flINTON Derbyshire
runner up gAIl pORTER Advisory Board Member for the North West
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
mAc has helped to significantly raise awareness of the charity in a difficult area in the region – resulting in the police executing search warrants and recovering illegal drugs due to the large amounts of information received. He recruited volunteers to help continue the Crimestoppers initiative in the community, and is also involved with getting fearless into schools and youth clubs, and is in the middle of organising a fearless programme for local secondary schools. chRISTINE ran a successful region wide campaign focused on alcohol related violent crime resulting in a 202% increase in information. Some of the documents she produced for the campaign, including the project brief, business plan and evaluation report, have been recognised within the charity as best practice. gAIl’S overseeing and strategic role has helped to maintain a high level of volunteering, attested to by the fact that during her time as Chair, her committee were identified by the charity as an example of best practice in campaigning, volunteer management and in their relationship with their police force.
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ThE lAST TwO YEARS hAVE SEEN AN INcREASE IN ThE NumbER OF cAmpAIgNS AND AcTIVITY IN OuR EASTERN REgIONS.
Eastern promise The lasT TWO years have seen an increase in campaigns across the Eastern region – all bringing Crimestoppers volunteers and staff together with police partners, stakeholders and the community. A variety of campaigns have been run to tackle different issues including knife crime, domestic abuse and rural crime. The main crime type tackled has been burglary, with the Bedfordshire team choosing to launch their campaign with actor Graham Cole who played Tony Stamp in The Bill. This high profile launch event was followed up by postcards sent into hotspot areas, radio adverts, billboards and a short film. A willing volunteer even dressed up as batman! The successful campaign was replicated elsewhere in the region with one campaign in Essex seeing a 200% increase in calls about burglary and three arrests from that information. Another popular campaign has been promoting fearless.org. The Cambridgeshire committee chose to launch Fearless at a local school with a theatre group doing an interactive production. Ricky Norwood, Fat Boy in Eastenders, endorsed the campaign. The event resulted in a 91% increase in visits to the Fearless website from young people in the area, a six minute increase in time spent on the website
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and a particularly significant piece of information being sent onto police. Many more Fearless events have since been run across the region by volunteers working in schools, including seven in Suffolk and Hertfordshire. There has also been a significant increase in media activity. Last year saw a 370% increase in media coverage. This has resulted in an increase in calls in every county – with Suffolk increasing the highest at 70%. A number of enhanced rewards were offered last year, including up to £3,000 for information about concrete blocks thrown onto the A12 in Essex which generated UK wide coverage, up to £10,000 offered for information about the murder of Robert Llewellyn in Cambridgeshire and up to £4,000 for information about the murder of Natalie Pearman in Norfolk. These more targeted campaigns and media releases have seen better quality information being sent to police and an increase in the amount of arrests – 132% in Cambridgeshire last year compared to the year before. Ann Scott, Eastern Region Manager, said: “I am immensely proud to represent Crimestoppers and have the opportunity to work with some amazing volunteers to help implement these campaigns. I would like to thank them for helping the Eastern region to achieve these great results”.
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Raising the Fearless profile FEARLESS IS AN INITIATIVE DEVELOpED bY CRImESTOppERS TO ENCOuRAgE gREATER ENgAgEmENT wITh 11-16 YEAR OLDS. ThE EAST mIDLANDS hELpED TO SpREAD ThE FEARLESS mESSAgE. FEARLESS hAS bEEN developed in consultation with the target age group and uses slogans, sayings and graphics that they have chosen. It acknowledges that most young people prefer to communicate via electronic means rather than use the traditional phone number to share knowledge but retains the fundamental element that all contact remains 100% anonymous and is available 24/7 and 365 days per year. The dedicated website – www.fearless.org – provides non-judgemental advice and information about crime. During 2012, Northamptonshire hosted a unique event engaging the services of a theatre group to deliver a day long activity to a group of students. Through engaging the support of the school, it was possible to take an entire year group out of school thereby maximising the number of students taking part in the theatre experience. The day was divided into different elements – covering an acting session showcasing some day to day life experiences and followed by a ‘Jeremy Kyle’ style chat show, challenging why people behaved in certain ways and exploring how these behaviours impacted on the wider family. The day proved so successful that the school have requested it be repeated on an annual basis and Crimestoppers has agreed to support the event for the next three years. Another example of engaging with an audience of young people and spreading the Fearless message was seen in Leicester where basketball player Karl Brown hosted an event sponsored by Fearless. Karl is passionate about changing the lives of young people in his local area and uses his own life experiences through basketball to engage with them. The event was held during the half term week and attracted approximately 60 young people to take part in a three by three tournament. Young people from the ages of six to 18 took part in a round robin style of competition for over three and a half hours! The winning teams from each category were presented with trophies, along with an overall plaque which will be retained and displayed at the St Matthews Community Centre. Plenty of photos were taken throughout the day along with a video recording which focused in on the importance of the Fearless message. It is hoped to make this a regular event – providing a great opportunity to share the Fearless message amongst local young people.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
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FOR mANY YEARS ThE LONDON REgION hAS pROmOTED CRImESTOppERS AND FEARLESS ThROugh A VARIETY OF INITIATIVES. NEw TO 2012 ThE LONDON TEAm IS NOw pROmOTINg FEARLESS LOCALLY ThROugh ITS VERY OwN FEARLESS BOROugh ChAmpIONS.
London recruits ‘Borough Champions’ Temilade Akande
Samalie Lutalo
BOROugh ChAmpIONS SpREAD the Fearless message online using their own social networks by re-tweeting Fearless messages or sharing Facebook links amongst many other avenues to get the Fearless message out across the web. Samalie Lutalo and Temilade Akande are the very first two of these “Champions” to be appointed to get our important message out to young people in their own areas of Haringey and Newham. Both girls, who have large social networks of individuals and organisations, are already active and have an interest in their community. They will also be attending events and youth community meetings in their boroughs in order to meet other young people and community groups that they can educate about Fearless. The Champions will soon be trained on giving interviews in the media so before long their voices could be broadcast on local London radio stations advocating Fearless from a young perspective. Samalie said ‘I’m so excited to be the voice of Fearless in Haringey! Not all young people cause trouble or are involved in crime. Fearless gives young people a way to give information about crime anonymously so we can actually help reduce and prevent crime in Newham’. These two Borough Champions are paving the way for more Champions to be recruited across London and the London team hope to soon have their first Borough Champion Conference where everyone involved can come together and brainstorm new ideas about how to get the Fearless message out and raise money for the charity by managing some events themselves. Borough Champions are given full support from Crimestoppers with training, materials and overall support. Each Champion is given goals to help show how effective they are being. Temilade commented that ‘It’s not easy being a Fearless Champion as I have a full-time job and a busy social life, but I know that it’s important for the charity and for young people in Newham so I make the time. And it fits well with my other interests and gives me experience which may well come in handy in my future career’.
To apply to become a Fearless Champion, contact us through
Fearless.org
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Anti-drugs campaign success CRImESTOppERS pARTNERShIp lAuNChES ThE NORThERN IRElAND ‘FOYlE ANTI-DRugS CAmpAIgN’.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
IN pARTNERShIp wITh the PSNI, Derry District Policing Partnership (DPP) and Derry City Council’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP), Crimestoppers in Northern Ireland launched the Foyle Anti-Drugs Campaign in January 2012. The targeted awareness campaign, funded through the Criminal Confiscation Receipts Fund, ran for three months and used the strapline: ‘The dogs in the street know the dealers... but they can’t report them... YOU CAN.’ During this period nearly 50,000 anti-drugs leaflets were delivered to every household in the Derry City Council area, the message was displayed on eight billboards located on the arterial routes into the city and on eight bus shelters located in hotspot neighbourhoods. The message was also promoted at the main points of entry into the city – the bus station, railway station and airport and was displayed on a total of 88 buses circulating the area. An educational programme showing the harmful effects of drug abuse was also delivered in each of the four Neighbourhood Renewal areas (Outer North, Triax, Outer West and Waterside) with Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators taking part. A themed meeting on drugs was also held, attended by over 100 sixth form pupils from nine different schools. The initiative itself has been hailed as a huge success by all the partners involved, with Crimestoppers information increasing in the district by over 140% (from 43 received from January to April 2011 to 106 received from January to April 2012) and with drug related information increasing by over 400% during the same period. Statistics released by PSNI for Foyle provide further testament to the success of the campaign with 110 seizures taking place between April and September 2012, resulting in over £1.3million worth of illegal drugs being removed from the streets. This is a stark contrast to the 12 month period from April 2010 to March 2011 when only £83,000 worth of drugs was seized.
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North East rises IRONINg OuT mETAl ThEfT EARlIER IN 2012 the Yorkshire and Humber Regions came together as one to tackle metal theft, and the campaign was well supported by police, Safer Partnerships and Crimestoppers volunteers. Humberside and West Yorkshire achieved some fantastic media coverage with excellent photo opportunities in Bradford, Wakefield, and Hull. Peter Harkness (West York’s) and Frank Duffield (Humberside), organised their own launch events and delivered media coverage which was a big success and is testimony to the
brilliant work and attitude of the volunteers. Elsewhere across the region, we received over 40 pieces of print media and 15 radio interviews given either by volunteers or by Dave Hunter (North East Regional Manager). The campaign was very successful in suppressing the events of metal theft and in one particular incident resulted not only in the arrest and charge of two individuals for significant cable theft, but also resulted in two other individuals being arrested in a completely different part of the country for burglary.
DIVIDE AND cONquER ThE bIggEST chANgE to impact on the North East in 25 years was the transition from the regional volunteer structure which had previously existed to smaller committees working alongside each police force. The ‘old’ North East structure served the charity well for a number of years under the chairmanship of George Robinson, but it became clear that the size of the region and the fact that new volunteers were reluctant to join because of travelling meant we had to look for a positive solution. The old structure’s problem was that it tried to represent the three forces of Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria, but this meant that the committee could not really focus its actions on a specific force priority at any one time. So it was decided to deconstruct the regional board and form three independent teams for Cleveland, Durham, and Northumbria. The result is that we now have three very dynamic committees that link in very closely with their own police force priorities and the relationship between them and the local police forces are incredibly strong. This relationship has been forged by the volunteers, and in particular with the strong, and enthusiastic chairing of Sue Knaggs (Durham), Julie Mennell (Northumbria), and Karen Shields (Cleveland). Not only do the committees work well with their police partners but they also link up very well with regional meetings to look at the challenges they face as volunteers, but also at any regional issues which may exist. Since the change from the regional set up we have also witnessed a significant increase in the number of people volunteering for Crimestoppers, from around six volunteers to the three new teams having between them around 30 volunteers. This is a fantastic achievement; truly a case of the mighty Phoenix rising from the ashes.
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ARchITEcTS, hIgh ShERIFFS, FARmERS, AcTORS, hOUSEWIVES, mOThERS, DOcTORS, lOcAl gOVERNmENT OFFIcERS; jUST SOmE OF ThE OccUpATIONS OF ThE VOlUNTEERS WhO mAkE Up ThE cRImESTOppERS cOmmITTEES OF ThE NORTh WEST REgION.
North West diversity WE ARE FORTUNATE enough to have a group of dedicated individuals with vast experience and knowledge of their local areas who strive to make their communities a safer place to live. The North West is a vast area, geographically and socially diverse; from the issue of rural crime in Cumbria to gun crime in Merseyside, from criminal damage on the Isle of Man to arson attacks in Cheshire - Crimestoppers is campaigning on it. The North West has had its share of serious crimes that have made the national headlines over the last 25 years and we are proud to say that Crimestoppers has been at the forefront in appealing to the public for information and receiving great support from the community in helping to achieve major breakthroughs in solving these crimes.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
Partnership working is vital and we regularly work with other agencies. In November 2012 we launched a campaign to target crime in the haulage industry in partnership with the six North West Police Forces, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), the Regional Intelligence Unit, HM Revenue & Customs, Trading Standards and the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA). Many of our committees were some of the first to be formed in the country and we have been fortunate enough to have had the input of some fantastic volunteers and police staff who have made a significant contribution to the charity both locally and nationally for many years. We thank you all for your support in making this area so special and successful.
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Drugs campaign nets £1.6m ASSETS SEIzED fROm cONVIcTED cRImINAlS pAID fOR ThE mOST SuccESSful cRImESTOppERS ScOTlAND cAmpAIgN fOR 25 YEARS.
ThE £1 mIllION advertising campaign, ‘Dealers Don’t Care, Do You?’, was launched in February 2005, and ran for six weeks across Scotland. The cost included all the advertising and PR activity, and extra resources at Crimestoppers associated with the anticipated increase in calls during the campaign. The campaign generated an excellent public response and the information given resulted in 175 arrests for drug-related offences. A further 400 arrests were made in May during a two-week operation by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) and police forces using intelligence built up during the campaign. The ‘Drug Dealers Don’t Care’ campaign was the winner of the Scottish Marketing Society Award in 2005-2006 for both ‘Best Cause Related Marketing Campaign’ and ‘Best Use of Consumer Insight’. A localised phase of the campaign was re-launched in 2006 and was targeted at Scotland’s six local authorities hardest-hit by serious violent crime. The two DDDC campaigns, have led directly to over 5,000 drugs-related calls to Crimestoppers, 530 arrests and the seizure of over £1.6 million worth of cash and drugs. During the last year, information given to Crimestoppers resulted in 866 arrests across Scotland for all types of crime affecting communities including murder, theft, rape, knife crime and alcohol related violence.
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NEARlY £100k RAISED fOR CRImESTOppERS’ ASTON pRIDE pROjECT.
West Midlands Pride A SChOOlS TAlENT competition was one of the fun features of a major Crimestoppers campaign which ran from July 2009 to March 2011, aimed at increasing awareness and incoming information in Birmingham. Over £90,000 raised from Government funding helped the charity to reach communities within the ‘Aston Pride’ area of the City. A Crimestoppers Project Manager and a group of volunteers researched the needs of the community and worked with organisations, including police and drugs action teams, to run over seven high-profile campaigns with themes ranging from gun and knife crime, drugs, graffiti and theft. Billboards, bus advertising and radio competitions helped to reach vulnerable communities with offers of cash rewards for information. “Information received by the charity increased month after month once people understood the charity’s offer of guaranteed anonymity. The number of crimes reduced and thousands of school children gained from the interactive fearless programme,” said Regional Manager, Pauline Hadley. The project also took fearless to young people through the first ‘Aston’s Got Talent’ competition to find the area’s most talented young people whilst promoting important messages in an engaging way. Other innovative ways of getting
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
the messages out included cleaning pavements through a stencil of the Crimestoppers logo, projecting the Batman logo with Crimestoppers message onto major buildings and the distribution of Eid and Diwalhi cards. In the first year alone Crimestoppers information increased by 27% compared to the previous year, with the quality of calls being of a much higher standard. This shows a better understanding of the type of information we are looking for and is demonstrated by the 72% increase in arrests and charges. There was also an increase in crime specific information relating to the themes which were delivered during the project. For example, anti-knife & gun crime saw an increase of 24% in total calls and weapons possession calls increased by 88%. Robbery saw an 11% increase in total calls & acquisitive crime calls increased by 64%. All this would not be possible without the continued support from the public, our partners and law enforcement.
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Snapshot of South S gLOucESTERShIRE bEATS bREAk-INS ThE 2011 Beat The Burglar campaign in Cheltenham was a great example of Crimestoppers working in partnership; on this occasion with Gloucestershire Constabulary, the Gloucestershire Echo and Allcooper. Not only were a number of perpetrators apprehended but the number of break-ins fell by seven per cent during the duration of the campaign.
ThAmES VALLEY NAILS ThE cOffIN fOR DRug DEALERS ThAmES VALLEY cRImESTOppERS is a complex region; spanning three counties, with 18 local authorities and a population of over 2.2 million. Innovative campaigns ensure different crime types are promoted each year, stimulating public interest and information. Rat on a Rat (with live rats!), Drug Dealers Deal in Death (featuring a volunteer in a coffin) and Bling all highlighted drug crime. To date, the most successful of all has been the launch of Most Wanted in September 2010. 89 people have now been located, over 40% of the criminals featured. All this on top of running national initiatives like the Prison Pin Number, Counterfeit Campaign and Metal Theft, fundraising and attending public-facing events ensure everyone knows about Crimestoppers’ services.
SuppORTINg ThE SuSSEX cAuSE: DAmE VERA LYNN AND AuThOR pETER JAmES SuSSEX bEgAN AS one of the three counties of Southern Crimestoppers, alongside Kent and Hampshire when the region was launched in 1994. In 2006, preparing for the launch of its Distraction Burglary campaign, the team met the iconic ‘Forces Sweetheart’, Dame Vera Lynn. Instantly she saw the benefit she could bring the charity with her as the figure head of distraction burglary, as she could connect to our older residents in a way that few could. Shortly later, during the ‘Blue Ribbon’ Human Trafficking campaign the team were introduced to the best selling crime novelist, Peter James. He had just written Dead Tomorrow in the Supt Roy Grace series, focussing on human organ harvesting. At the launch of Human Trafficking in 2008, Peter James gave a powerful speech highlighting Eastern European child human trafficking from Romania, which was quite horrific. Peter explained his research for the book and we learned that a healthy human being is worth $1 million in body parts. Dame Vera and Dr Peter James have hugely raised the profile of Crimestoppers in Sussex. Their support of our work is a great inducement for the media to cover our campaigns. This has helped increase our actionable calls year on year and has also helped us to raise much needed funding.
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h Success RATS TAlES: DRug DEAlERS cAughT IN KENT ONE Of ThE mOST successful campaigns carried out by Crimestoppers in Kent for generating calls, was our Rat on a Rat Campaign in August 2006. Working with Kent Police we targeted a number of drug dealers in one specific area. The Drugs Liaison officer had planned an operation to raid some properties that had been under observation and that it was suspected that dealers were operating from. Kent Crimestoppers designed, ordered and put up over twenty, Rat on a Rat banners in and around the target areas one week before the police operation. The day of the launch came and 18 properties were raided by Kent Police – 12 drug dealers were arrested in that one hit. As a result of this, calls in that district for the following two months increased by over 90%. Information came flooding in to Crimestoppers and kept Kent Police busy for almost a year.
DR WhO REScuE IN ThE WEST cOuNTRY A cAll TO Crimestoppers led to the recovery of a stolen Dalek in June 2005. The Dalek went missing from Wookey Hole and was believed to be an original BBC set item and, therefore, worth thousands of pounds. The Dr Who villain was spotted at the top of Glastonbury Tor and was recovered, with the help of a cave rescue team, and returned to the tourist attraction. The West Country Crimestoppers team worked together with Avon and Somerset Constabulary to save the day.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
hAmpShIRE AND ISlE Of WIghT ARRESTS 2011/12 WAS ANOThER successful year for Crimestoppers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers and a strong partnership with Hampshire Constabulary, we received over 2,000 pieces of information that led to the arrest of 437 individuals, a fantastic conversion of over 20%. Hampshire also remains one of our most prolific areas in its successful use of the Most Wanted website and we are grateful to the police for their ongoing support in achieving this.
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TImE-OuT fOR CRImE IN DEVON & CORNwAll
fIElDINg OuT RuRAl CRImE IN DORSET
DEVON AND CORNwAll Crimestoppers have worked extensively over the years with the Plymouth Raiders basketball team to reach thousands of young people with messages about taking responsibility for their community. By visiting high-crime schools to teach children about taking responsibility, the volunteers have reached over 1,000 young people and seen a massive reduction in crime in the area.
ThE TEAm Of Crimestoppers volunteers in Dorset have been working through summer 2012 to follow up on the highly successful rural crime event held at Kingston Maurward in April. The focus was on the full spectrum of rural crime from organised animal rustling to opportunistic equipment and metal theft.
SOCIAl SuRREY ThE CRImESTOppERS TEAm in Surrey have been using Facebook to target 16-24 year olds asking them to provide information anonymously. Three adverts, targeted at people living in Surrey, have generated over 9,000 clicks by individuals wanting to know more about Crimestoppers. Two successful campaigns using Facebook about burglary and the handling of stolen goods offered cash rewards for information that led to an arrest and charge. In June 2011 after a 30 day promotion of ‘Rat on a Rat’ on Facebook actionable information received in Surrey rose by nearly 50%.
Guernsey challenge IN 2011, CRImESTOppERS challenged Guernsey residents to safely kayak around the island, covering a distance of 28 miles within 8 Hours 55 minutes and 11 seconds – a feat inspired by the charity’s phone number. In total, over £20,000 was raised for a variety of charities. Other Crimestoppers Challenge events arranged locally have included a ‘Runway Walk’ at Guernsey Airport which raised £10,000 for local charities and the Crimestoppers 10 Pin Bowling Challenge, where entrants attempted to score 0800 555 111.
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Jersey winner
IN 2012, A Crimestoppers entry won the ‘Design-an-Ad’ competition in Jersey. Every year the Jersey Evening Post, the island’s newspaper, runs a Design-an-Ad competition. Now in its 32nd year, the majority of the island’s schools take part. Local companies are invited to provide information which is given to schools and teachers to encourage pupils to design an advertisement. Several hundred pupils take part and the overall winners from a primary and secondary school win a cash prize, for both the winning pupils and their schools. On 11 July, the Jersey Evening Post published its Design-an-Ad supplement and the overall winner was Chloe Coxshall with her Crimestoppers design.
Welsh initiative AS A RESulT of calls to Crimestoppers over 5,000 arrests have been made in Wales since 1988. A particularly animal-friendly initiative that has taken place in Wales/Cymru, consisted of joining the charity, Naturewatch and the Countryside Commission for Wales, in 2012 on their campaign to stamp out badger baiting. There has been much intelligence and anecdotal evidence which shows the Cynon Valley area of South Wales as a ‘hot spot’ for this criminal activity. The initiative aimed to flush out those gangs involved in this clandestine pastime and received the support of Ann Clwyd MP.
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
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25 YEARS Of L TO ThE PEOPL bY LORD AShcROfT KcMG Pc, fOuNDER Of cRIMESTOPPERS When I founded the charity in 1988, I had high ambitions that it would play a role in helping to solve crime. However, I had no idea just how successful Crimestoppers would become and this is entirely due to the hard work of all its supporters. cRIMESTOPPERS IS ThE result of my determination to do something in the wake of the horrific murder of PC Keith Blakelock in October 1985 during the Broadwater Farm riots. I was incensed by the brutality of the crime: that an unarmed, 40-year-old father of three could be hacked to death while carrying out his duties on the streets of London. After a series of productive meetings with the Metropolitan Police, we were able to run a pilot scheme that, in turn, resulted in Crimestoppers being launched in January 1988. From the outset, Crimestoppers (or the Community Action Trust as it was first called) was intended as a three-way partnership between the business community, the police and the media. Businesses put up money to finance the scheme, the police acted on information that came in and the media highlighted the charity’s work. However, this partnership only worked because of one other vital ingredient: members of the public embraced a system that allowed them to provide information anonymously about crime and criminals. Crimestoppers has never been content to rest on its laurels but it has,
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instead, always succeeded in moving with the times: using new technology and new ideas in its attempt to stay one step ahead of the criminal. I am convinced that the roots of Crimestoppers’ success lie in the fact that it enables the man, and woman, in the street to fight back against crime. Today less that 2 per cent of those who could claim a reward for their information actually do so. Since its inception, Crimestoppers has received more than 1.3 million actionable calls. During this time, more than 117,000 people have been arrested and charged (including more than 900 with murder). Stolen property worth more than £123 million has been recovered and drugs with a street value of over £270 million have been seized. The commitment of Crimestoppers’ staff and volunteers has produced a powerful and effective weapon against crime. I thank all of our supporters for their contribution and for enabling the charity to go from strength to strength. Everyone involved with Crimestoppers is entitled to feel immensely proud of its achievements over the past quarter of a century.
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f lISTENINg plE
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
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Crimestoppers has never been content to rest on its laurels but it has, instead, always succeeded in moving with the times.
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A crime fre
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ree society ImAgINE A WORlD WIThOuT cRImE. WIThOuT fEAR Of bEINg ATTAckED, RObbED, OR A mEmbER Of YOuR fAmIlY gETTINg huRT. A plAcE WhERE DOORS cAN bE lEfT OpEN. chIlDREN cOulD plAY SAfElY OuTSIDE. AND pRISONS WERE EmpTY fOR All ThE RIghT REASONS. Although we are aware that such a place is, at best, a utopia, at Crimestoppers we will continue to strive to make streets safer and communities more comfortable living in their homes and enjoying their neighbourhoods. Everyone deserves the right to live safely without fear of crime. It may just be an ideal, but it is one we can work towards.
WIll YOu jOIN uS IN puRSuIT Of ThIS DREAm Of A cRImE fREE SOcIETY?
join us: www.facebook.com/crimestoppers http://twitter.com/crimestoppersUK
www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1
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1.3 million calls received 8,000 arrests in 12 months 120,000 arrests since 1988