Connect Autumn 2016

ISSUE 18 AUTUMN 2016

REACHING OUT Intelligence & information gathering Volunteer of the Year Drop the Knife Campaign New Fearless website and lots more.

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www.facebook.com /crimestoppers

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www.youtube.com /CrimestoppersUK

AUTUMN 2016 | 1

CONNECT

Welcome to the Autumn 2016 edition of Connect which looks at how we reach out to communities - getting our message to the people who really need us.

To do this effectively, it’s hugely important that we continue to analyse the service we offer and the public’s understanding of anonymity, the linchpin of our service.

We used telephone and online surveys as well as in-depth interviews with people who come into regular contact with crime. The conclusions of this research have positively reinforced the importance of our service, whilst giving us a better understanding of the people we need to reach.

This piece of work has also improved our insight into the issues that people face and some of the barriers to providing information. We are looking to take on board these results and use them to inform our work, even commissioning new research into areas where we feel Crimestoppers would benefit from more in-depth knowledge.

Parallel to this, we continue to work on developing our youth programme Fearless, and have now launched a new website where 11-16 year-olds can learn more about the types of crimes that affect them. Young people were involved in the development process through focus groups conducted around the country. The results have informed the look and feel of this new platform, as can be seen on pages 8-9.

In addition, it is also a pleasure to be able to announce that with kind thanks to Lord Ashcroft’s Cayo Foundation, we have secured sufficient funding to design and launch a new Crimestoppers website and refresh our brand. More details will of course follow in subsequent issues, but we are thrilled to have this opportunity to improve the quality of information we provide and boost online engagement.

Mark Hallas OBE, CEO Crimestoppers

Drop the Knife Campaign

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New Fearless website

8

Published by: Crimestoppers Trust PO Box 324 Wallington SM6 6BG Editor - Marcus Churchill

Electoral Fraud

2 | AUTUMN 2016

10

London Marathon 2016

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Designer - Mike Fraser www.iconcur.co Crimestoppers is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.

CONNECT | ISSUE 18

internationalnews

Operation Return seeks UK’s Most Wanted in The Netherlands In March we launched our fourth Operation Return appeal, seeking fugitives believed to be hiding in the Netherlands. Added to the outstanding four faces were five individuals suspected of committing murder and drug trafficking offences.

Historically, we have appealed to the public for information via a press release, a launch event in The Hague and supporting social media activity.

However, this year we took it a step further by holding a simultaneous launch event using a digital ad van in Liverpool.

The van had a 13ft digital screen and broadcast pictures of the nine fugitives sought on a tour of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and London - cities that

The 13ft digital screen displayed images of the fugitives

the fugitives are believed to have links to.

The campaign was highly successful with over 20m people reached via newspapers, internet articles, radio and television. 3.5m people were reached via Facebook and Twitter, and there were over 40,000 views

of our campaign landing page.

Over the history of Operation Return, 10 out of 19 fugitives appealed for have been apprehended.

Meanwhile, the ten-year anniversary of Operation Captura, seeking fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain, launched in October.

The campaign was highly successful with over 20million people reached via newspapers, internet articles, radio and TV.

New IT system for the Bureau Hermes, a new intelligence database, has recently been installed at the Bureau.

When compared to our old system, this new management tool is much faster and far more user friendly. It also prompts agents to enter information that aids more accurate dissemination to both law enforcement and commercial partners.

The ESRI mapping tool has been incorporated into the system, enabling agents to establish exact locations in respect of the criminal activity reported and providing enhanced details of police force boundaries.

From an analytical perspective, it has enhanced search capabilities that allow more meaningful analysis to be completed. The system enables us to search deeper and wider with respect to crime types and themes which will help us to better identify emerging issues.

www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

A Crimestoppers agent using Hermes, the new intelligence database

Director of Operations at Crimestoppers, Roger Critchell, said: “The information that we send to both law enforcement and corporate partners is critical to our success. We hope that, by updating

our systems, we can continue to improve the quality of the actionable information we provide and build a more informative picture of crime in the UK.�

AUTUMN 2016 | 3

nationalnews

THE SECRET TO OUR SUCCESS? IT’S ALL INCOGNITO From those on the frontline at our call centre to our regional managers on the ground, a key aspect of our work is that we offer a safe way to pass on information that helps prevent or solve crime.

Julie Dodd (R), an independent qualitative researcher

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CONNECT | ISSUE 18

I

t‘s surprising that despite being a charity for over a

quarter of a century, we’ve not dug deeper into the main reasons why people contact us – such as assessing the importance of our guarantee of anonymity or the value of being independent of the police.

With callers often being

Perception is crucial and with many people believing we are part of the police, it is a difficult issue.

vulnerable or wary, for too long we’ve avoided asking

before developing surveys for

“However, there are many people who may want to believe that Crimestoppers is truly anonymous, but perhaps through fear of repercussions or intimidation, need greater reassurance before they are convinced. More than a third of people in our research had doubts about whether or not the identity of someone who contacts us would truly remain anonymous.”

This is a real challenge for us.

Perception is crucial and with many people believing we are part of the police, it is a difficult issue, especially when targeting specific and often vulnerable groups.

both our callers and website

Stigma of snitching

what might have felt like intrusive questions.

Considering the adage that information is power, we decided to rigorously examine some of our assumptions by commissioning Julie Dodd, an independent qualitative researcher, to make sure we target our messaging in a more appropriate, effective and pragmatic way.

Julie began her research by reading through dozens of background documents, including previous Crimestoppers research and other organisations’ reports,

users. Further insight was obtained through in-depth interviews with Bureau staff and with members of the public who had witnessed crime first-hand, but felt that they were unable to report it.

Lifting the veil on our identity Julie explains: “As expected, anonymity was overwhelmingly the most important reason why people choose to contact us, and our independence from the police and charity status also helped.

www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

The research also found that in some communities, especially black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, there was a significant cultural sensitivity around being seen as a `grass’ or a `snitch’. Indeed, it was a concern in half of the people we interviewed.

This can lead to the underreporting of crime purely based on fears over the social consequences of being seen to cooperate. However, other research with our callers shows that these communities do come to Crimestoppers, and in higher

proportions than in the general population.

Challenging concerns Overall, the research showed that there aren’t major changes required to our messaging, but that subtle tweaks and modifications will help. The results confirmed much of what we thought, but also gave us some interesting information that will shape and help refine what we do in the future.

Julie concludes: “Most people surveyed are not aware that Crimestoppers is an independent, self-governing charity. However, my research makes crystal clear that once people know Crimestoppers is independent of the police and is a charity, it gives them greater confidence to make contact.”

Give information about crime completely anonymously.

We will now consider more closely how we emphasise and further reassure people that their personal identity remains untraceable when they use our service.

By carefully crafting the language used in our communications, we can help people overcome their fears about being seen to ”cross a line” so that when they speak up, it will be safe in the knowledge that their name or identity remains incognito.

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Chuka Umunna, Labour MP for Streatham, speaking at the Drop the Knife event in Streatham, south London

DROP the KNIFE At the start of the summer we teamed up with the Sunday Mirror to launch a joint campaign to raise awareness on the issue of knife crime. Titled ‘Drop the Knife,’ the campaign saw three events held in London, Birmingham and Liverpool, with a panel made up of individuals from government, law enforcement and community workers, as well as family members who’ve lost loved ones as a result of a knife.

I

n 2015, police recorded 28,000 incidents that involved a knife or sharp implement, and it’s almost weekly now that we switch on our radio or TV, or open up the newspaper, and hear about an incident where a knife has been involved.

MP for Streatham, Chuka Umunna, a vocal advocate for

6 | AUTUMN 2016

tackling youth-related crime, was one of the panel members in London, while knife crime campaigner Allison Cope, who lost her son, Josh Riberia, and Anthony Walker Foundation founder, Gee Walker, also made up panels in Birmingham and Liverpool respectively.

LBC Radio is Britain’s leading commercial talk station

CONNECT | ISSUE 18

nationalnews The three areas that hosted the events have some of the highest incidents of knife crime in the UK The audiences at the events were made up of invited guests who have a particular interest in tackling the issue of knife crime, from charity and youth workers, to councillors and health professionals.

The three areas that hosted the events have some of the highest incidents of knife crime in the UK, and those in attendance were able to give insight into the work they are carrying out to tackle the issue, while also creating debate on what more can be done to encourage young people to ‘drop the knife’.

Following on from this campaign, Crimestoppers has carried out work with Everton Football Club, who were present at our Liverpool event, speaking at one of their Everton In The Community Crime Awareness Days about Crimestoppers and our anonymous service.

More recently, we were approached by national broadcaster LBC Radio to support them with a week long campaign they ran at the start of September, titled ‘Drop the Knife, Save a Life,’ which used the Crimestoppers’ call to action. Roger Critchell, Director of Operations, and Christopher Onwuzo from

Fearless, were interviewed in the studio during the Nick Ferrari breakfast show for the launch.

In an attempt to raise awareness of rising knife crime figures, most notably in the capital, LBC went out on a knife recovery raid with the Met Police, and took calls from those affected by knife crime, or who were tackling the issue.

The public contacted Crimestoppers, which resulted in the charity receiving a 50% increase in information on incidents involving a knife or sharp implement.

They followed up with a report which included Fearless’ Christopher Onwuzo giving a talk to young people at a school in Streatham, south London and interviewed him about the project’s key aims.

Throughout the week the station appealed for members of the public to contact Crimestoppers, which resulted in the charity receiving a 50% increase in information on incidents involving a knife or sharp implement during the campaign.

Working alongside Fearless, we continue to explore other avenues and channels where we can raise awareness

Christopher Onwuzo (left) – from Crimestoppers’ Fearless project – talking to a group of young people about the dangers of knife crime

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of knife related crime, and plan to work again with organisations like Everton Football Club and LBC Radio to get our message out to the public.

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NEW FEARLESS

WEBSITE!

and new and redesigned br a of h nc lau e th w sa mn tu This au ppers youth platform, where to es im Cr s, les ar Fe r fo ite bs we about the types of crime, how 11-16 year-olds can learn more e 100% anonymously. im cr rt po re d an s lve se em th to protect

T

he new website allows teachers and organisations working with young people to increase their knowledge on crime and prevention techniques and provides downloadable teaching materials and an interactive guide to use in lessons. The design and functionality behind this was carried out by creative agency Pull Digital after a stringent tender process.

Crimestoppers launched the original Fearless.org website in 2010 to engage a youth audience, but with advances in digital and mobile technology over the last six years, it was in need of a refresh as young people’s expectations in terms of web speed and navigation have all evolved.

Another important factor was changing behaviour. People are

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spending twice as much time online compared to a decade ago, fuelled by increasing use of tablets and smartphones.

Typically they are accessing websites via these mobile products more than using a PC or desktop computer. As the original Fearless website wasn’t mobile friendly, this started to decrease the traffic accessing the channel.

Before developing a new platform, we wanted to involve young people in the process. The team conducted research with a number of focus groups made up of teenagers within the target age range of Fearless’ audience from around the country. Through that process, we discovered how young people consume and use content available to them online. That helped us shape the look, feel

and user experience of the new website.

What came out of those discussions was that they wanted us to consider the following:

• It should be realistic and non-patronising • That they wouldn’t take the website seriously if it was an animation • It should look professional because it is a serious topic • It should be simple and easy to navigate With social media playing a heavy role in their daily lives, we also ensured that the colours used on the website reminded them of their favourite platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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TAKE A LOOK AT THESE SNAPSHOTS OF RESULTS 1. WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE? Family

50%

Friends

45%

Celebs

2%

Teachers

2%

Sports coaches

1%

2. DO YOU USE THE INTERNET?

3. DO YOU OWN A SMARTPHONE?

YES

100%

YES

100%

“School doesn’t allow phones, I take it anyway”

4. IF YOU HAD £100 WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON?

+ 48%

36%

GOING OUT

SAVE IT

6%

5%

4%

GO CLOTHES CONCERT SHOPPING TICKETS

1% ASK FOR MORE

F

earless continues to reach out to our target age group.

With the growing pressures on young people and the choices they are sometimes forced to make when it comes to crime, our youth service is here to support them as much as we can.

We have recently welcomed new members to the team who are working in the regions to support ongoing projects across South Yorkshire and Gloucestershire.

Meet Leon, who gives a brief overview of his work so far:

5. WHAT’S THE LAST WEBSITE YOU VISITED? OTHER

40%

30%

YOU TUBE

10%

5%

FACEBOOK GOOGLE

5%

10%

INSTAGRAM SNAPCHAT

6. WHAT SHOULD OUR NEW SITE LOOK LIKE? Should be realistic and non-patronising

Look professional because it is serious

Should be real – wouldn’t take it seriously if it was an animation

Big bold buttons… Clear buttons

Make it simple and easy to navigate (a lot of websites you can’t even find the search bar)

7. HOW SHOULD OUR ANONYMOUS FORM WORK? Being able to use it via a smartphone

?

Make sure people know it is anonymous

Speed is important

You can take a look at the new Fearless website at www.fearless.org www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

Hello, my name is Leon Hobson.

I am a Fearless youth worker in Gloucestershire. I have been in the post for four months and am delivering a new knife crime project in the county’s schools. The aim is to raise awareness of Fearless and the risks and consequences of carrying knives in schools and the wider community.

I recently delivered a pilot project to a school in Cheltenham and enjoyed working with local housing association, Green Square Group, delivering a graffiti project and talk about knife crime to young people in Tewkesbury. On the last day of term in July, I was involved in a successful street patrol with police and other agencies engaging with `at risk’ young people during the evening.

As well as visiting schools, the rest of the year I am involved in a mock court knife crime trial, where young people have been invited and will hear from various people with first-hand experience. I am also linking in with the fire and police services to deliver a knife crime prevention programme in October.

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nationalnews

ELECTORAL FRAUD Crimestoppers launched a new campaign targeting electoral fraud during the May local elections and the EU referendum in June.

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his builds on the public engagement campaign for May 2015’s general election and aims to maintain public confidence in our democratic process.

The main message was to make clear that although electoral fraud is not a prevalent crime, we still have a duty to tackle it. Alongside a call to action, there was a useful guide, listing key examples of what may typically constitute electoral fraud.

In 2016 we specifically

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targeted more priority locations across the UK. The campaign highlighted the problems of intimidation, bribery, stealing postal votes and scams around voting by proxy.

Most of the activity used paid-for adverts on Facebook, search engine positioning via Google Ad Words, posting messages on Facebook and tweets on Twitter. There was also national and local news

coverage in papers and online.

Results from the initial four weeks of the May 2016 campaign showed: • Around a dozen pieces of actionable information sent to police, including incidents of voters being harassed or intimidated, or the misuse of proxy voter cards. This is a 25% increase compared to the May 2015 campaign.

• 6,000 views of the campaign landing page

with over forty people giving information online.

• 40 million impressions on Twitter and 1.5 million people reached via Facebook.

• Over 4 million people were reached as a result of the press release with an advertising value equivalent of over £80,000.

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TIDEWAY TIE-UP HELPS RECONNECT LONDON WITH THE RIVER THAMES L

ondon’s Victorian sewerage system is no longer fit for purpose, spilling tens of million tonnes of untreated raw sewage into its tidal waters each year, damaging the capital’s environment and wildlife.

A cleaner future is at hand as work begins on building the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel is one of the largest tunnelling projects in Europe - with a world class health and safety and ethical response plan - and Crimestoppers is playing its part.

In February we launched the official Tideway anonymous whistleblowing service which enables employees and contractors to report concerns over safety, wellbeing, corruption and criminal wrong-doing via a unique telephone number and non-traceable online reporting platform. It ensures that anyone working on the project who sees or hears something that could cause harm or is against the law, can report what they know without giving away their own personal details.

Rodger Holden, Director of Development at Crimestoppers, said: “Our Tideway Hotline service will last for the entire length of the

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building project, which is due for completion in 2023. While Tideway’s thousands of skilled workers and apprentices will be digging deep to improve the ecology and appearance of London, Crimestoppers will help ensure employees who have concerns feel they can speak up.”

Given the vast scale of this £4.2 billion engineering project – a workforce of three contractor consortia with approximately 4,000 workers in total – the benefits of having a hotline are crystal clear. It enables all the project’s stakeholders to have greater confidence in a robust and transparent whistle-blowing reporting process.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel diagram

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fundraising

LONDON MARATHON 2016 2

016 was a momentous year for the Virgin Money London Marathon as it marked over one million finishers since the world-famous race began in 1981. A total of 26 Crimestoppers runners took on the challenge, raising more than £42,000 for the charity, and we are incredibly grateful for their support.

The ballot has now closed for next year’s marathon but, if you’re not successful in getting a place and would still like to run, we have Golden Bond places that you can apply for just like Charles (Chuck) Chamberlain did when he ran for us in April.

Amazingly, the 71 yearold restaurant owner travelled all the way from his home in North Vancouver, Canada, to take part in the marathon. He had never actually run before he started training last year, but had been particularly inspired by seeing someone complete the course on one leg with crutches when he was visiting London for his daughter’s birthday.

Charles ‘Chuck’ Chamberlain

Chuck said: “When I received the letter stating that I had been given a place in the marathon I was very nervous and excited – the reason being I had never run a day in my life. I had never played any sports or been active at all.

“I started off walking for five minutes and a quicker pace for 30 seconds, then built up to running or walking 15 miles per day, five days per week.

“My biggest motivator was remembering the solid look of determination on the face of that fellow on crutches as well as the solid support of my daughter.”

A big THANK YOU to all our runners Cheryl Batt Charles Chamberlain John Clucas Susan Davies Alexia Durran Joe Easterbrook Kerensa Grose Jamie Harrison Oliver Humphries Paul King Scott Kneebone Rachel Large Lauren Leach Stuart Mitchell David Morton Kieran Owen Beth Perkins Paul Press Henrietta Rawe Mandy Richardson Thomas Ryan Joshua Saggers Kelham Shearing Benjamin Sinclair Craig Sparkes Daniel Vasper

NEW SCOTLAND YARD DINNER I

Dame Louise Casey and Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe QPM speaking at the NSY Dinner

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n May, Crimestoppers held its final New Scotland Yard dinner, a highly successful engagement and thankyou event for all our stakeholders. The Metropolitan Police Service is moving to new premises after nearly 50 years at the New Scotland Yard site.

Hosted by the Met Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe QPM, the dinner was an opportunity to highlight some of the

research we have conducted over the last year. Lord Ashcroft took the opportunity to mention the higher percentage of minority groups who are contacting Crimestoppers when compared to the general population, and our work with translation services to help us communicate with those who have moved to this country.

Dame Louise Casey, from the Department for Communities and Local

Government, was guest speaker on the night, and spoke passionately about the bravery of contacting Crimestoppers with anonymous information.

She said: “Bravery for me, is not how many characterise it to be.

“It is not about battles, or fights, or confrontations - for me, it is about conviction.

“It is about purpose.

It is about what is right.

It is about truth and justice.”

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INTRODUCING

Our new Head of Communications & Marketing What attracted you to working at Crimestoppers?

The third sector is my first love and an enduring passion. My first job after graduating was with a charity, and I really wanted to work in an organisation where I could see the direct impact of my contribution.

Crimestoppers has a great reputation, a very clear call to action and has an important role to play in our communities. And I love the fact I don’t have to work in central London!

Have you ever been a victim of crime?

Yes, unfortunately I was mugged on the way home from work many years ago and even now I’m nervous of walking in alleyways in the dark.

their job. However, I think we can articulate what we do more effectively to encourage even more people to contact our service. I’d like to be able to refresh the brand and bring all parts of the charity together, working on campaigns with clear objectives that we can all contribute to.

The communications and marketing function of any organisation cannot work without collaboration and I look forward to working with the Regional Managers, volunteers and other stakeholders.

What’s your favourite place in the UK? Home.

But a close second would be a waterfall in a place called Mallyan Spout in Whitby, Yorkshire it’s so magical.

Your last job was in government – what was that like?

What’s your favourite word?

Have you ever seen the TV programme ‘In The Thick Of It?’ It was a lot like that! But it was also incredibly exciting; I worked with some amazing people on some high profile issues. Working with the private offices of Ministers and No. 10 was particularly challenging as you’d often get asked for briefings at very short notice, usually involving communications advice on the impact of quite complex policy areas. A lot of my time was spent speaking to very bright policy leads and translating all their detail into clear communications objectives.

What’s your favourite book?

Have you ever worked outside of communications and marketing?

No, it’s all I’ve ever done!

What impact do you hope to have whilst you are at Crimestoppers?

I hope I don’t make anyone’s life harder or create unnecessary processes which stop people doing

www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

Insouciant - I love the way it sounds.

‘Possession’ by AS Byatt - it’s about two academics trying to solve the mystery of a relationship between two Victorian poets. It was so good I read all of AS Byatt’s books hoping they’d be as enjoyable – unfortunately, I can’t recommend the others!

What makes you happy?

Sunshine, being outdoors and my family preferably all three at the same time.

What single thing would improve your life?

More time in the day. I’m constantly trying to fit too much into the day so an extra two hours a day would help me no end.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Gleb from Strictly Come Dancing - I’m absolutely devastated he’s not in the current series.

AUTUMN 2016 | 13

nationalnews

SPOTLIGHT ON TRUSTEES Peter Clarke, CVO, OBE, QPM talks about why he’s a keen supporter and Trustee of Crimestoppers

P

eter Clarke is a face that many will recognise. In the aftermath of the London bombings on the 7 July 2005, Peter headed up the counter-terrorism investigation for the Metropolitan Police and was often seen on our TV screens providing updates and reassuring the public. He has been a Trustee since 2008.

“Crimestoppers was born through the energy, imagination and initiative of Lord Ashcroft after the Broadwater Farm riots of 1985. In the time leading up to the disorder I’d been a police inspector at Tottenham, so I knew the area. The morning after the riots, I returned to Tottenham and saw the impact of the riots first-hand.”

That impact left communities and the police absolutely shell-shocked.

“I saw the destruction around the edges of Broadwater Farm and was aware of PC Keith Blakelock’s murder. The fact that Crimestoppers was formed partly as a result of the riots resonated with me considerably, so I was delighted when decades later, I was invited to be a Trustee.”

However, the early days of

14 | AUTUMN 2016

Crimestoppers were not always easy and it wasn’t just the public who were sceptical.

“I think there was initial scepticism because Crimestoppers was new and there was nervousness about the concept of people being able to give anonymous information. Some in the police service were worried that malicious information might be given if it could be anonymous.

Crimestoppers is able to access a massive amount of intelligence that otherwise would not be available to law enforcement.

“So it hasn’t been an easy journey.

In the very early days there was considerable opposition from the police service itself to the notion.

That opposition today is unthinkable.”

Whilst trust in Crimestoppers’ work has grown over the years, Peter believes the charity has become a vital link between the public and law enforcement: “Crimestoppers is able

to get access to a massive amount of intelligence and information that otherwise would not be available to law enforcement, it’s as simple as that. There are many reasons why some people are nervous or frightened of going to speak to the police or the authorities and Crimestoppers bridges that gap.”

The role or “vital link” as Peter puts it, will become more important especially with a backdrop of austerity.

“The police, like the rest of the public sector, have had to absorb significant cuts in the past few years so they have to make hard decisions about priorities. Crimestoppers can be a real help to them because any cost benefit analysis of what the charity can offer is huge.

“The amount of savings that we offer to the police by enabling them to close major investigations early is enormous, as is the sheer number of criminals who are prevented from carrying on with their criminal activities. That provides a huge saving, not only to the police but also the public more broadly. It is a building block of Crimestoppers’ success.”

CONNECT | ISSUE 18

Jim Ferguson

S

(L) Receiving her award from Mark Hallas OBE, CEO Crimestoppers. (R) Helping clean her local area

cotland will have a new man heading up our volunteers north of the border after long serving committee member Jim Ferguson was appointed as the new Scottish Chair.

Based in Inverness, Jim currently serves as Regional Chair for the North of Scotland and has successfully led the Regional Committee of twelve volunteers.

Volunteer of the year 2016 - Harriette Dottridge The work of our volunteers and committees is critical to the success of our charity. As Roger Critchell, Director of Operations, comments: “Local volunteers and committees play a vital role in providing the link between us and the communities they live in.

“Without them, our job is made much more difficult, so I am always pleased when we have the chance to celebrate the work that they do and the valuable contribution they make.”

H

arriette first joined West Country Crimestoppers Committee when she became co-ordinator for Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) about 13 years ago.

It seemed obvious that NHW members might need to use Crimestoppers to pass on information anonymously, so working between the two charities seemed a natural fit.

She believes that living in an active community helps everyone feel safer and her efforts led to her being voted ‘Volunteer of the Year 2016’ by Crimestoppers. “I’ve enjoyed being part of our local Crimestoppers team who successfully run fantastic fundraising events, spreading the Crimestoppers message, as well as engaging hard-to-reach communities in schools in Bristol

www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

through our ‘What would you do?’ programmes.”

Passionate about supporting her community, Harriette has also been involved in organising annual litter clean-ups, reporting fly-tipping and drug-dealing, plus supporting the local church, community association, hall committee and has even been a Parish Councillor.

When Harriette retired she found that she had more time and saw that some older people felt isolated, so she started Craft Days in the local hall where people could come for the day, have a hot, homemade meal, bring their handicraft and have the chance to share or learn something new with others.

“The team of enthusiastic and dedicated Crimestoppers volunteers is a joy to work with and through a good partnership with the local police, we see great results.”

Lord John Stevens

F

ormer Chief Constable of Northumbria Police and Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Lord John Stevens, teamed up with the charity to relaunch a new, revitalised volunteer committee that will ensure everyone living in Northumbria knows they can safely stand up to local criminals.

Northumbria Crimestoppers was relaunched at the end of July with the support of Newcastle Falcons Rugby club, key stakeholders and supporters, all of whom pledged to spread the Crimestoppers story far and wide across Northumbria.

AUTUMN 2016 | 15

regionalnews Gloucestershire

TACKLING CYCLE CRIME IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

W

Top cycle security tips from the campaign

You can see the videos on our YouTube channel:

during 2015 alone and the

Mark It: By marking your

www.youtube.com /crimestoppersuk

ith nearly 300 cycle thefts in Gloucestershire

widespread belief that this crime is often under-reported, cycle crime was considered a significant enough issue that our local Crimestoppers committee were asked by Gloucestershire Police to develop a campaign.

Prevention was seen to be as key to this activity as the acquiring of information, so a comprehensive plan was developed involving posters, a press release and extensive social media.

Elite British Female 4x Mountain Bike Series champion Cara Murray helped front a series of short films, which mixed top tips on bike security with pointers on fun riding skills.

bike with a unique code and applying a tamper-proof sticker this not only deters thieves but also makes it much easier to trace your bike if it is stolen.

Lock It: To reduce the chances of your bike being a target it’s worth investing in a decent heavy-duty bike lock (or two) to not only make an attempt harder but also reduce the likelihood of your bike being approached by thieves.

Report It: Crimestoppers urged members of the public to give information about anyone involved in the theft of bicycles as well as the handling of stolen bikes and bicycle parts - to share it with us 100% anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111 or filling in our quick and easy online form.

Poster from the campaign featuring Elite British Female 4x Mountain Bike Series champion Cara Murray

Scotland

RURAL CRIME CRACKDOWN

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rom Shetland to the Scottish Borders, Scotland is classed as over 90% rural. Whilst offering a beautiful and picturesque landscape, it brings its own challenges. Across the central belt of Scotland, theft of livestock and associated farming vehicles is a persistent problem and can have a serious impact on victims.

Thanks to funding from Crimestoppers’ Percy Hoskins Award, we were able to design a campaign to improve awareness of rural crime and encourage greater reporting.

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The campaign launched in March with some well-behaved sheep spray-painted with the Crimestoppers’ number at Fallow Farm in Arbroath.

Over the summer we were out and about with police and our partners at The Royal Highland Show, Highland Games and various country fairs and markets. There was also a 60,000-leaflet drop, a targeted social media campaign, and all 12 Police Scotland rural crime contacts have now been equipped with pop ups, banners and leaflets.

Our social media campaign has so far reached over 150,000 people and has had more than 3,700 likes, comments and shares.

CONNECT | ISSUE 18

Suffolk

DOMESTIC ABUSE CAMPAIGN IN SUFFOLK

D

omestic abuse is a crime that is not just all about kicks, punches or violence. It can take the form of sexual, psychological, mental, emotional or financial abuse. It will affect one in four women, as well as one in six men, in their lifetime.

In May, Crimestoppers urged people in Suffolk to report any concerns that they may have about their friends, family or neighbours as in many cases they may well suspect the offence is taking place but be reluctant to be seen to get involved.

Antonia Litten, former Suffolk Regional Manager said: “Domestic abuse is a serious crime, but it remains largely hidden behind closed doors, leaving the victims trapped, powerless and isolated. We want more people to speak out if they know someone is being abused.”

Using a combination of media including radio adverts, a postcard drop to households, posters in bars and shopping centre washrooms, the campaign was a huge success.

• 100% increase in actionable information relating to domestic abuse sent to Suffolk Police • The messages reached nearly 600,000 people, over half the population, across Suffolk during the campaign period

www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

Plymouth

PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY’S SAFERU PROJECT

P

lymouth University has been chosen to trial the SaferU programme, a university campaign created by Crimestoppers with the aim of increasing student awareness of personal safety and crime prevention.

“Typically we see spikes in crime,” explains Paul Richards, Lecturer in Police Studies at Plymouth University.

“The criminals know that when students arrive at university for the first time they are vulnerable, not knowing where they are supposed to be going or what they are supposed to be doing. They have a large amount of kit that is attractive to thieves and it’s at these times that the crime statistics soar. This is not only a huge issue for the victims but also for the University and the police who have to mop up after such incidents.”

The National Union of Students estimates that around 400,000 crimes are committed against students each year and that one in five of those attending university will be victims at some stage of their university career.

Paul Richard says that SaferU works well at Plymouth and added, “The students from our Policing modules have to undergo an element of volunteering as part of their course and so the SaferU programme gives them that platform to work as a volunteer in a relevant area while giving something really useful back.

And going on from university, of course, volunteering experience on the CV always looks good.”

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regionalnews Birmingham

TACKLING GANG VIOLENCE IN BIRMINGHAM

C

rimestoppers launched a campaign to tackle gang violence in May following a number of ‘turf war’ shootings in Birmingham.

With the message ‘Keep our streets safe. Say no to gun and gang violence’, a combination of outdoor advertising, social media, an advertising van and radio advert appealed to those who have information on gang crime to contact us anonymously.

They won’t go to the police because they fear reprisals; they don’t want to be seen as a ‘grass’.

Pauline Hadley, West Midlands Regional Manager, said: “There are people out there who want to do the right thing but they won’t go to the police because they fear reprisals; they don’t want to be seen as a ‘grass’. They have the power to break the silence in complete safety. Information from them can stop another family being torn apart by gun and gang violence.”

This comprehensive activity led to almost 2,300 visits to the ‘Guns and Gangs’ page on our website and an 82% increase in information received during the campaign period.

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CONNECT | ISSUE 18

Merseyside The campaign asked for information on where these bikes are being stored, the vans being used to transport them and who is riding them.

In just three weeks the charity received 25% more calls than normal and from only receiving a small number of calls each month on nuisance bikes, it received 10% of its calls in March on this issue.

Arrests have been made, bikes, drugs and cash have been seized.

This year has been a record The ad van touring Liverpool to highlight the problem of nuisance off-road bikes

year for Crimestoppers on Merseyside, partly thanks to the

rimestoppers saw a

Merseyside. It was the most

work of a very active committee.

phenomenal response

successful social media

Nearly 5,000 pieces of

by the public on Merseyside

campaign that Radio City has

actionable information have

to a recent campaign to get

ever run. Crimestoppers’

been received, over £2 million

information on the illegal and

volunteer and radio presenter,

worth of drugs seized and a

dangerous usage of off-road

Pete Price, also covered the

significant amount of cash

bikes.

campaign on his late-night

recovered and arrests made.

C

The campaign launched on

talk show.

10th March at Stockbridge Village and was a joint initiative

by Crimestoppers, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and Merseyside Police.

Off-road bikes are noisy, anti-social, intimidating and dangerous. They are often used by gangs who are transporting drugs and weapons and have

Gary Murray, North West Regional Manager, said:

Nearly 5,000 pieces of actionable information have been received, over £2 million worth of drugs seized and a significant amount of cash recovered and arrests made.

“The response from the public to the campaign shows that this is an issue that the people on Merseyside feel strongly about and they wish to see these bikes taken off their streets. This has been our most successful campaign ever and it is great to see that by working with the Police and Crime Commissioner,

caused some serious road The campaign also featured

Merseyside Police and the public

heavily in the regional Liverpool

that we can make our streets

hotspot areas, an ad van toured

Echo newspaper and was so

safer and a better place to live.

Liverpool with the campaign

successful in reaching those

accidents.

Leaflets were distributed in

“The campaign will be

message and a radio advert was

involved in the crime that a

continuing over the next few

aired. Social media promotion

group of over 20 young people

months and we will use a wide

was carried out in partnership

on off-road bikes blocked a

range of methods to get our

with local media outlet Radio

major road in Liverpool to

message across and show the

City, and utilised videos of

protest against the campaign

public that we care about what

dangerous off-road biking

and posted their protest on

affects their families and

incidents on the streets of

social media.

their communities”

www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

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VITAL CRIME INFORMATION WE RECEIVE HAS LED TO: One person charged with murder every

11

8 days

arrests each day

Last year over

93,000 pieces of usable information received

MOST WANTED ARRESTS: Over

3,700 fugitives arrested since 2005

SINCE 1988 CRIMESTOPPERS HAS HELPED: Nearly

Recover over

140,000

£130m

people arrested and charged

of stolen goods

Over

£330m worth of drugs seized

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