Connect - Summer 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Also in this issue:P5 – A victim of fraud shares her real life story

P10 – How electronic devices help in the fight against crime

P13 – Young people get in the know

P18 – Olympic Coach shoots crime

Lead Feature

and its influence in fighting crime

ISSUE 11 SUMMER 2012

www.facebook.com/crimestoppers

http://twitter.com/crimestoppersUK

2 | SUMMER 2012 CONNECT | ISSUE 11

Welcome to the Summer 2012 edition of Connect. Remaining at the forefront of digital technology is a priority for us at Crimestoppers; this is particularly relevant as within our core service we’ve experienced a consistent increase in information being received online. As a result, this year we launched a mobile version of our website which allows information to be passed to the charity ‘on the go’ from the palm of your hand. The mobile site has seen early success, with over 500 online forms submitted within the first month alone.

We’ve also ensured developments in terms of our presence on social media, with our Twitter following increasing by 156 per cent during the first six months of the year and the launch of Crimestoppers’ profile on Pinterest, now the third largest online social network; helping to bring to fruition our plans to use every available platform to publicise the charity.

We’re delighted to welcome a number of new corporate partners who have joined us this year and we thank them for their support in a difficult financial environment. You can read more about our new partnerships on pages 10/11.

Our work to track down international fugitives has reached a new chapter with the planned launch of a campaign to identify and locate offenders wanted by UK law enforcement and believed to be on the run in Cyprus. Meanwhile Operation Captura continues to draw results, bringing the total to 49 arrests out of 65 appeals.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our growing network of volunteers. We recognise the efforts of those who generously give their time to the Charity and we continue to draw upon their support as we work together to make communities safer across the UK.

MICHAEL LAURIE CBE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Published by Crimestoppers Trust, PO Box 324, Wallington, SM6 6BG

Editor Giselle LaresDesigned by kwd:perceptions

Crimestoppers is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.

The next issue of Connect will be published in January 2013

Article deadline: 19 November 2012

Please send articles to [email protected]

FUNDRAISING

REGIONAL NEWS 14

FEATURES 10NATIONAL NEWS 3

8

nationalnews

SUMMER 2012 | 3www.crimestoppers-uk.org | 0800 555 1 1 1

This year the charity celebrated a number of significant increases in our end of year performance figures. The amount of useful information received from the public rose by 4 per cent to over 95,000 information packages – the equivalent to 261 every day.

This year, the value of stolen goods recovered as a result of Crimestoppers information doubled to over £7 million, a record figure for the charity.

During the week of the UK disorder in 2011, the number of online forms received by Crimestoppers increased by

HOT FACTS

300%75%

3,000

2,750

2,500

2,000

1,750

1,500

1,250

1,000

750

500

250

0 Murder Assault/ Drug Drug Burglary Disq/Unins Drink Harassment Trafficking Manufacture Drivers Driving

Selection of crime categories

Cases solved Arrested & charged

Full statistics are available from Crimestoppers Head Office

Extracts from National Summary of Statistical Data, 2011 – 2012

Total (since inception, 1988 to March 2012)

Arrested Actionable & charged information Goods recovered Drugs seized

115,491 1,336,019 £123,203,656 £232,779,261

Wherever you are, we’re there for you As if it wasn’t simple enough; it’s now even easier and more accessible for people to give information about crime through the launch of the Crimestoppers mobile version of our website.

With events such as the public disorder last August generating a huge amount of information for the charity, this new site will allow the public to give information ‘on the go’. As always, anonymity is guaranteed. The site allows users to access our secure online form, which has been optimised for mobile devices; those who have passed on information are also able to make a

donation to Crimestoppers via text message through Just Text Giving.

Over 40 per cent of all information being passed to Crimestoppers does so through the anonymous online form. This shows the public’s appetite for online information giving which we have responded to with this technological advancement.

In the two weeks following the soft launch of the mini mobile site in February 2012, we passed on just over 2,000 online pieces of information to the police, with nearly 12 per cent of this information coming from the mobile site.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) Most Wanted website was designed with the help of Crimestoppers.

of convicted child sex offenders posted on the site have been found.

The ‘Most Wanted’ section of the website established in 2005 has already resulted in criminals being arrested1,586

nationalnews


Language is changing; social is evolving – and Crimestoppers is getting on board. Social media is one of the most important communication tools that charities have access to in the 21st century; increasingly, people are sharing and, to an extent, living out their social lives on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn and Pinterest, to name a few.

At Crimestoppers we continue to bring you regular updates on Twitter and Facebook about progress with our campaigns, but we’ve also used social media platforms to live-tweet during BBC Crimewatch, we’ve had ‘Fearless Friday’ guess-the- picture Facebook competitions, and created infographics and

CRIMESTOPPERS IS DOING SOME GR8 STUFF IN THE REGIONS, CHECK IT OUT! #STOPCRIME @CRIMESTOPPERSUK

used images to help you visualise what Crimestoppers does nationally and across the regions with Pinterest. Pinterest is a young social media platform; born in 2010, it is quickly gaining interest from both indi-viduals and charities; the latter are using it to promote their causes through use of imagery.

Pinterest offers a great way to share information about Crimestoppers through high quality images which link through to articles on our website. In March 2012, Crimestoppers‘ use of Pinterest was featured in an article by UK Fundraising, indicating that we’re on trend in the digital world.

In the next 12 months, Crimestoppers will be

continuing to engage with followers on social media platforms, and conducting research into how we can optimise our engagement with mobile and tablet users. We hope you come with us on the journey!

Safer Internet WeekChild exploitation, situations where children are abused physically, verbally, or sexually, is a sad occurrence which is increasingly a problem with the internet being an easy vehicle for criminals to target vulnerable children.

This crime is one that Crimestoppers has taken recent steps in putting an end to through the support of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre who launched a new online video as part of Safer Internet Day.

CEOP is dedicated to eradicating the sexual abuse of children and Crimestoppers is diligent in the detecting of all crime; this makes a strong combination of aims as the two compliment one another’s objectives.

The video, titled ‘A Parents’ and Carers’ Guide to the Internet,’ was streamed throughout the day via a dedicated website and was designed to

To viewThe Parents’ andCarers’ Guide to

the Internetgo to:

youtube.com/user/ceop

educate viewers on how they can support their child’s online activities. A trailer was launched on CEOP’s YouTube channel in January 2012 and depicts a 1950s-style family talking about the internet as if it were a new addition to the household, designed to reach families that have never thought about online safety before.


feature

ID fraud affects victims in a number of ways, the worry of it reoccurring, loss of privacy, the stress of back-trailing to produce evidence of the crime; the list goes on. There are numerous variations of ID theft with examples including obtaining credit cards and loans in someone else’s name and then not paying the bills, opening utility accounts, renting an apartment, getting a mobile phone, purchasing a car or a home, and so on. Criminals are finding it easier and easier to obtain information on people via the internet, with many falling victim to this each year in the UK. We spoke to one of those victims who shared her story with us.

Alice, 26, from Middlesex, fell victim to identity fraud in 2011.

“Last year I received an e-mail from HSBC saying that my application for a credit card was ‘being processed.’ Straight away I knew something wasn’t right as I’d never applied for a credit card and I’d never even banked with HSBC. I contacted them immediately and they cancelled

the application. By this point, however, it was too late. I found out the fraudsters already had my full name, date of birth, e-mail address and worryingly, my postal address and place of work. I felt terrified. What if they came after me when they realised the credit card application had been cancelled?

I later found that they’d applied for quite a few loans and other credit cards using my details. After this first e-mail I received a lot of similar notifications, saying that my application for a loan or credit card was being processed.

Each time I had to contact the lender and explain to them what had happened. It was exhausting and seemed never-ending at the time.

How did it make you feel?Straight after it happened I struggled to sleep. It made me feel so angry and I was constantly worried about what they were doing under my name. I was also really worried about my credit score being affected as I was planning to buy a new car at the time and

LOSING YOUR IDENTITY

The overall loss to individuals due to identity theft in

the UK is estimated at £1.2 billion*

*According to the latest Annual Fraud Indicator (AFI) published in

March 2012 by the National Fraud Authority (NFA)

in a couple of years’ time I want to buy a house. It made me realise that the effects of being a victim aren’t just short-term.

I know it’s only a small measure but I bought a shredder soon afterwards and now I make sure any documents with my details on are disposed of safely. The whole thing’s definitely made me more wary, which is probably a good thing. I just wish it didn’t take something like this to make me security-conscious.

At the time I searched online for information about identity fraud because I didn’t know much about it. I was really shocked by how common it is, and just how many victims there are out there.”

Crimestoppers is here to help stop experiences such as these. For more information on fraud visit the fraud section of the Crimestoppers website www.crimestoppers-uk.org/fraud and as always take action and give any information you have on crime to the charity. The shame lies in the criminal, not the victim.

We spoke to Alice, 26, from Middlesex, who fell victim toidentity fraud last year. She spoke to us about her experiences.

nationalnews


Here at Crimestoppers we recently took the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to the hundreds of individuals that give their time to the organisation during National Volunteers Week, which ran in June 2012.

With over 500 volunteers across the UK, Crimestoppers has been able to call upon the skills and expertise of members of the public in various sectors such as business, the media, and local government.

Many have worked on campaigns in their area centred on crimes such as metal theft, domestic violence and burglary, while others have acted as spokespeople for the media and contributed to the running of the charity’s headquarters.

Michael Laurie, Chief Executive for Crimestoppers, said: “The role of our volunteers cannot be underestimated and I am immensely proud of the commitment and dedication they continue to show Crimestoppers.

SAYING THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS

NOTE FROM DAN HASKELL, CRIMESTOPPERS’ VOLUNTEER MANAGER

Here at Crimestoppers we now have over 500 volunteers across the UK helping us fight crime and make communities safer. However, this is more than just a numbers game. Our volunteers come from an incredibly varied range of backgrounds, and bring with them a host of different skills; from PR and marketing expertise to business leadership, from finance to community engagement.

Their contribution to the charity is substantial and we are immensely grateful for the time and hard work they give us. The one thing that unites all of our volunteers is their belief that everyone can play a part in making society a better place, and that criminals should face the consequences of their actions.

If you feel similarly then you can find out more about the skills we are looking for and what opportunities we have at our website www.crimestoppers-uk.org/volunteer

‘I would like to personally thank each of them for their ongoing work and hope that they will inspire other members of their community to get involved in the fight against crime.’

E-cards from the Chair of Trustees, Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, were also sent out to all who give their time to the charity.

Crimestoppers’ Central Office also celebrated our volunteers with a Jubilee themed bake-off as one of the ways to say ‘thank you’. The competitive bake-off consisted of staff making their finest Jubilee-themed treats in a competition for best looking and best tasting which was judged by our keen volunteers. The tasty cakes and desserts were followed by a presentation by Michael Laurie to the current central office volunteers.

We appreciate all of our volunteers in helping to make Crimestoppers the charity it is.

‘Having become a victim of crime since joining Crimestoppers as a volunteer, I now have a greater understanding of the needs of victims and the importance of identifying the individuals who commit crime across our communities’

Kathy Burke Chair of Sussex Crimestoppers

Kathy Burke Edward Igbinedion and Michael Laurie

Poonam Rathod

and Tracey Heelas

nationalnews


‘I was fortunate enough to celebrate with Crimestoppers for National Volunteers Week by way of a reception dedicated for all Central Office volunteers. As well as finger food and drinks available, the main agenda was a fiercely contested cake bake-off and a goodie bag and certificate handed over to us by the Chief Executive Michael Laurie which was an added bonus to the day. All volunteers had the pleasure of sampling each of the marvellous cakes made by staff and then judge upon appearance and taste, this by far was one of my favourite tasks of all those that have been appointed to me since my time volunteering here! It was flattering to be made a fuss over. Overall the celebrations genuinely made us feel valued and more focused on the tasks and projects we are working on and really was an enjoyable day!’

A volunteers’ view on National Volunteers Week

fundraising golf day and an annual Christmas dinner for the West Country branch of the charity. These events generate necessary funds to pay for specific campaigns in my community that help to remove criminals from my local streets.

Volunteering to help organise these events is always good fun, is very rewarding and you get to meet people that you would not usually meet. I would highly recommend it!”

Dev Chakraborty, Crimestoppers Volunteer of the Year Award winner 2011 took the time to share his thoughts on the work he undertakes for the charity; “You often hear people say ‘Volunteering helps make a difference to people’s lives in your community’, well in my case that is absolutely true.

I use my skills in marketing, networking and project management to organise an annual

ADVICE FROM OUR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2011

Central office teamPoonam Rathod

and Tracey Heelas

Richard Sreeharan

fundraising


Diligent crime-fighters took part in the largest fundraising event in the world in April 2012 and raised over £50,000 running the Virgin London Marathon for Crimestoppers.

The 40 runners who took part in the 26.2 mile event have made history by being involved in the most successful Crimestoppers fundraiser to date!

Emotions on the day ranged from jubilation to utter relief as the runners donned their Crimestoppers vests, and even ice hockey kits, as they joined celebrities for a day that was full of team spirit and an enthusiastic and determined vibe as men and women ran for good causes.

Our thanks go out to our corporate partner Sainsburys for donating goodie bags for the history-making team.

Over raised in most successful Crimestoppers fundraiser

£50k

VICTIM OF LONDON DISORDER RAISES £3,000

In 5h 25mins Peter Romanov achieved his biggest personal challenge to date in aid of Crimestoppers. He finished the Virgin London Marathon in April 2012 despite being caught up in a life-changing experience the summer before.

During August 2011 Peter was stopped at a road block by troublemakers and was forced to abandon his car and all its possessions in order to escape the danger. Despite this trauma, Peter counts himself luckier than others who got caught up in the disorder, in that he came to no physical harm as his losses – car, mobile, laptop were all ‘material stuff that can be replaced’.

Peter took his negative experience and used it to drive him to make a positive impact on the community by running for a good cause and raising over £3,000 for the charity.

Join the Crimestoppers London Marathon Team

Don’t want to miss out on the fun? Get involved at the 2013 Virgin London Marathon on Sunday 21st April! For the ultimate challenge join the Crimestoppers London Marathon Team 2013 to tackle one of the greatest running events in the world. Make history, have fun and make friends by supporting us in making your community safer. To secure a place all that is required from those applicants who are successful is a £100 registration fee, after which all the details and essentials will be sent to you to get you ready for the race. This includes:• SUPPORTERPACK&FUNDRAISINGTOOLS• TRAININGANDFUNDRAISINGADVICE• APERSONALISEDRUNNINGVEST• SUPPORTFROMOURCHEERPOINTS• POST-RACERECEPTION,WITHMASSAGES

BYTRAINEDSPORTSTHERAPISTIf you are ready to run for a great cause in 2013 contact Lucy [email protected] call 020 8835 3700

Watch the video

here

PeterRomanov

fundraising


Join the Crimestoppers London Marathon Team

It’s all about you…There are so many exciting ways you can challenge yourself to raise funds for the charity, take your pick!

• THEMEDDINNERPARTIESWITHFRIENDS Invite your friends over for dinner with a theme! Cook and plan the whole evening then get your friends to put a donation in a box for you in return.

• MOVIENIGHTANDSOCIALDRINKS Get your friends to donate half of what they would spend in the pub.

• SWEEPSTAKE Pin a sheet on an office noticeboard or do it online – guess the finish time for a race or result of a football match.

• SPONSORSHIPPLEDGES Set up a Virgin Money Giving page and email the link to all of your contacts, through your office, Facebook, Twitter, email, phone, text...

Choose from the above or get creative about how you can get fund generating!

HOW WILL IT HELP?

Brainy? Join Us!Join Crimestoppers on Tuesday 27th November for a lively evening of competitive entertainment which will test your knowledge and exercise your grey matter.

Hosted by BBC News Home Editor, Mark Easton, the Brain Game aims to find the brightest brains in business whilst raising much needed funds to support Crimestoppers’ vital work in fighting crime.

To ensure you don’t miss out on this action packed evening in London contact [email protected] for booking details.

1 Who was the only British Prime Minister murdered whilst in office?

2 In Greek mythology, who was the goddess of punishment and retribution?

THINK YOU’RE IN THE KNOW?

Example Questions (Answers on back page)

Crime and Punishment Round

What effect do your donations have? Public donations benefit the charity enormously and feed into areas including these few examples below:

•Support Crimestoppers’ Most Wanted on the website – the only UK-wide place to find individuals wanted by the police

•Fund the delivery of a workshop in different schools to raise awareness about crime to young people

•Help the anonymous 0800555111telephone service run

•Equip Crimestoppers to launch a campaign to save victims of human trafficking

What are you waiting for? Get giving!


feature

Time is of the essence when dealing with crime. Vital evidence and witnesses quickly disappear after a crime is committed. Police need to pin-point the exact location quickly so that they can make mission-critical decisions and cover escape routes.

Crimestoppers’ support of Esri UK, a leading provider of detailed mapping technology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), enables the public to share information through the medium of interactive, intelligent maps without compromising the anonymity of the caller.

Anything that can make it easier for a caller to pass on vital and accurate information quickly will generate more support from the public.

With more than 90,000 calls expected to its UK bureau this year, Crimestoppers anticipates that GIS in conjunction with call centre systems, which can quickly plot the precise locations of crimes, could significantly increase both the detection and prevention of crime.

Esri UK and Crimestoppers are also exploring how GIS could be used to enable the public to provide more detailed

information online. By integrating web-based GIS services into Crimestoppers’ website, the public could simply go online and plot the accurate location of crimes or other incidents.

Crimestoppers continues to lead the way in passing on high quality information. This significantly increases the detection and solving of all types of crime, while still protecting the anonymity of those speaking up.

TARGETED APPROACH TO CRIME

DETECTIONVehicle theft from homes is now a very real threat


feature

How would you feel if one morning you woke up to find the drive empty, your car gone, your heart pounding? What do you do?

A £42,000 vehicle stolen from the owners drive – this is their story of how Crimestoppers’ new partner helped them.

Mr Naylor woke at 6.45am, opened the curtains and realised something was wrong. It took several seconds to realise what was different, then his focus on the drive set his heart pounding. His wife’s new

Range Rover Vogue was gone. They hadn’t heard anything.

Mr Naylor woke his wife and they rushed downstairs into the kitchen and opened the drawer where they kept the keys – they were gone.

Thieves had broken into the house for the keys, they had also taken two laptops and an iPad, then calmly driven off.

Mr Naylor called the police to report the theft at 6.55am, the initial response did not sound hopeful but when the police realised that the car was fitted with a TRACKER device that changed everything. The police contacted TRACKER at 7.30am and liaised with Crimestoppers’ new partner who monitored the vehicle until it stopped as they did not want to instigate a chase. The position was quickly relayed to the police

who immediately closed in and recovered the vehicle at 11.15am.

This could have been a very different story, as high value vehicles are usually stolen to order and are often put in containers and shipped overseas

before the normal investigations can produce any information.

Luckily Mrs Naylor works for Apple so she was also able to activate an alarm on her iPad and the police tracked this using her iPhone. All the computers were then recovered unharmed.

This successful co-operation between the Police and TRACKER clearly demonstrates how fitting a device enables Police to rapidly recover stolen vehicles saving significant time, cost and heartbreak for the owners.

“ The police said they must have been professional car thieves, they were so specific!”

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!

TARGETED APPROACH TO CRIME

DETECTION 6:45am Awake to find car stolen

6:55am Theft reported

to Police

7:30am Police liaise with Tracker

11:15am Police recover vehicle

thanks to Tracker

Vehicle theft from homes is now a very real threat


The thought provoking app was designed to support the launch of the Fearless mini mobile site in April 2012, which allows young people across the UK to give information on crime via their mobiles. The open graph technology uses user information to generate a realistic fictional journey.

The mobile site enables youngsters, who are significant users of mobile devices, to no longer have to be at a desktop computer to give information. They can instantly share what

they know anonymously where ever they are.

If there are young people who can’t see a way out of gang culture, or who are scared of repercussions of giving information, this site offers them a lifeline through Fearless to help them feel safer in their own communities.

INNOVATIVE OPEN GRAPH TECHNOLOGY WAS USED TO GENERATE A FACEBOOK APPLICATION THAT ALLOWS USERS TO EXPERIENCE LOSING THEIR VIRTUAL LIFE THROUGH A DYNAMIC FACEBOOK EXPERIENCE.

Teenagers who used the RUFearless app described what happened as ‘really clever’ and ‘really makes you think’ after logging into the site using their Facebook details.

To experience it for yourself – simply use the QR code above, or visit:

www.RUFearless.org

TRY HERE...


FEARLESS EXPOSED TACTICS USED BY CRIMINALS WHO PREY ON YOUNG INDIVIDUALS TO LURE THEM INTO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WITH A HARD-HITTING NEW VIDEO IN 2012.

The video highlights the typical occurrences of the cycle of crime shown through the experience of a young girl who is led into crime by an older male. He showers her with gifts and presents to mask his true intentions within a pretence of a loving relationship.

Unknowingly, the young girl

is encouraged by her friends to become acquainted with the stranger, unbeknown to them he is a serial criminal, adept at targeting and corrupting teenagers to carry out illegal activities for him.

As their relationship and her criminal involvement subtly escalates, it inevitably explodes as the repercussions of the young girl’s involvement climaxes, affecting both her and her family.

The eye-opening content educates and alerts teenagers so they know how to spot these dangers and avoid them.

The cycle of crime showcased in the video is common in UK gang culture, but thanks to Fearless educating young people, we can put a stop to this.

To view the video, visit:

www.youtube. com/Fearless

ORGwww.RUFearless.org

regionalnews


7-a-sides go head to head in Hertfordshire football projectAround 2,000 young people and their parents attended a fun but educational day at the Watford 7-a-side Football Tournament for under 7’s to under 11’s in June 2012.

The Hertfordshire Crimestoppers Committee sponsored the five main trophies and attended the event itself which provided the opportunity to talk to young people and provide them with Fearless pens,

Hertfordshire Crimestoppers

earless is thanking Birmingham children for helping to rid the streets of drug dealers and other criminals. With the help of school children, through Fearless, the charity is receiving around 700 useful pieces of

information about criminals in Birmingham every month, half of them being drug-related.

Children as young as 10 and 11 are being informed about making choices if approached by gang members and drug dealers. If they feel they do not want to talk to teachers, parents or the police, they can pass information to the charity instead, with a guarantee that no one can find out who they are.

Clare Walters from Cockshut Hill School said: ‘Year 7 students have developed new skills, the Fearless lessons have had a positive impact on the youngsters and I highly recommend that other pupils learn in this way.’

With young people advocating the work of Fearless it is clear the empowering effect it has on

helping them to tackle crime. Thanks to the youth of today, these young people are helping to take criminals off the streets, making communities a safer place. Our gratitude goes out to them.

key-rings and cards for those who wanted to know more.

“Young people are one of the most important audiences for Crimestoppers”, stated Greg Gibson, Youth Lead on the Hertfordshire Committee, – “but they haven’t always understood how to interact with the charity, which is why it is so important that we tell them about Fearless.”

With the mix of fun and education on the day it was a true success that resulted in a win-win for all and another step towards combating crime.

FBIRMINGHAM CHILDREN HELPING TO RID THE STREETS OF DRUG DEALERS

West Midlands Crimestoppers

Daniel Gibbin, Vice Chair of West Midlands Committee, pupils

from Cockshut Hill School and PHSE teacher

regionalnews


The success of Thames Valley’s MOST WANTED caught the headlines earlier this year as we celebrated a phenomenal 40 per cent arrest rate for the regional pages of one of Crimestoppers’ most powerful tools in the fight against crime.

The latest statistics show that since the launch in September 2010, MOST WANTED has helped Thames Valley Police locate and arrest 74 individuals featured on the web pages.

Julia Hughes, Projects Coordinator for Thames Valley Crimestoppers, attributes the success to the support of local residents and the media: ‘With a success rate averaging one arrest every week, we must thank the members of the public who have taken the time to view the appeals and anyone who has passed on information about those featured.

‘The local media has also played a key role in ensuring MOST WANTED has been in the public’s gaze. This is still the case over a year and a half on, with over 20 pieces of media coverage about Most Wanted statistics that we published in April.’

Regional actionable information samples across the UK from 11-’12

Underage and street drinking is an issue that rarely gets addressed and is frequentlymisunderstood to be only a social problem. The issue is being tackled in Great Yarmouth with the support of Crime-stoppers who are encouraging members of the public to stand up against the selling of alcohol to underage youngsters and the proxy sales of alcohol by adults for young people under 18.

The support of Crimestoppers towards this initiative comes after the launch by Baroness Newlove and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in April 2012. The aim being to educate people about underage drinking and the serious health implications. It can also leave youngsters vulnerable and is often a major contributory factor to anti-social behaviour which impacts all members of the community.

NEW INITIATIVE

TO TACKLE

UNDERAGE

DRINKING

EAST

One arrest every week for

Thames Valley’s MOST WANTED

Publicorder

offences

2,248

LONDON

Theft

899

NORTH EAST

Possession of Weapons

359

NORTH WEST

NORTHERN IRELAND

Drug trafficking and supply

626

SCOTLAND

Rape and sexual offences

175

SOUTH EAST

Possession and other

drug crime

1,315

SOUTH WEST

Wanted persons and

fugitives

174

WEST MIDLANDS

Murder (and other unlawful killings)

181

WALES

Burglary

100

Assault and

harassment

145

EAST MIDLANDS Drink

Driving

323

Disqualified and uninsured

drivers

30

GUERNSEY, ISLE OF MAN AND JERSEY

‘

regionalnews


ritain’s Got Talent judge and Domestic Violence campaigner Alesha Dixon is backing a pioneering project to train vets across Scotland to help domestic abuse victims.

There is a common link between animal abuse and domestic abuse, with victims being hurt or terrorised by the same abuser which is why this important project by the Domestic Abuse Veterinary Initiative, that helps people and animals together, needs awareness.

The initiative supported by Scotland Crimestoppers will see vets, who build strong relation-ships with clients over years of visits, trained to spot the signs of abuse in animals and their owners and encourage victims to give information about the abusers.

With research and clinical evidence increasingly suggesting links between the abuse of children, vulnerable adults and animals, this project encourages the public to be aware that animals and humans can be victims of the same abuser and intervene and help those in need. Be informed, don’t turn a blind eye.

Scoring a stand against domestic abuse at Euro 2012 football match

Research suggests that during big sporting events, reports of domestic violence increase and the majority of domestic abuse still goes

unreported. Due to this, West Mercia Crimestoppers supported a campaign entitled ‘Euro 2012, Tackle it!’ at the start of the Euro 2012 tournament aimed to raise awareness of domestic abuse in the region.

The launch took place in June at a local football match that consisted of five-a-side teams battling it out and included teams from local domestic abuse and alcohol service providers. The campaign aimed to increase awareness and promote early intervention in an attempt to break the cycle of abuse by encouraging people who know the abusers to contact the charity with guaranteed anonymity.

BWest Mercia Crimestoppers Sussex Crimestoppers

Valentine’s Day 2012 was not all about love and roses for Sussex Crimestoppers. The darker realities were addressed with the launch of a domestic and sexual violence campaign on February 14th which resulted in a 120% increase of actionable information relating to rape and sexual offences in the month following the launch.

Please remember one call can make a difference. With the success of the campaign so far, steps towards justice have been made and lives potentially saved.

Thames Valley Crimestoppers

Speak out today

“Speak out today!” urged Crimestoppers in partnership with Thames Valley Police and Domestic Abuse Co-ordinators in a campaign launched in May 2012.

Domestic abuse takes many forms, not only physical violence, and counts for one in seven of all violent incidents in England and Wales. Family, friends, neighbours and colleagues were urged to come forward if they suspect someone is being abused. A dedicated website speakout-today.co.uk and video has launched to provide practical information for victims and those supporting them.

Crimestoppers is speaking up and shedding light about this ‘hidden’ crime and encouraging others to do the same. Will you?

VALENTINE’S DAY TAKES A DARKER TONE

CELEBRITY SUPPORTS CRIMESTOPPERS’ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INITIATIVE

Scotland Crimestoppers

Jane McCann and

Monica Sharp

regionalnews


Speak out today

To add to the hi-tech world of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and internet savvy users, West Country Crimestoppers have taken promotion back to basics with a horseback crime-fighting scheme that saw riders giving out rural crime material to people they came in contact with. This adaptable approach to build awareness in order to help in rural areas shows just how creative the charity can be using traditional methods. PC Nick Wood from Avon and Somerset Constabulary helped initiate the new Mounted Volunteer Initiative on Exmoor after linking the fact that horse riders exercise their horses on a regular basis with some covering a thirty mile radius around their home which is a perfect opportunity to help look out for those suspicious incidents and be ‘visible’ at the same time. ‘Being that much higher up they may even see more!’ Nick shared when explaining the thought process behind the idea.

Riders are now seen and noticed as Police Volunteers and given basic training as to what constitutes being a good witness and how to record information pertaining as intelligence.

Crimestoppers leaflets have been kindly distributed by the volunteers in the ride towards making communities safer.

FOUR LEGS BETTER THAN TWO

Batman and The Bill get on board to tackle burglary

Just like Batman; through Crimestoppers, members of the public can fight crime without revealing their identity. Bedfordshire Crimestoppers enlisted the help of The Bill’s Tony Stamp – played by actor Graham Cole – and caped crusader Batman, to launch a targeted campaign in Luton to tackle burglary and the handling of stolen goods.

In the first two months since the launch, three specifically related pieces of information about burglary were received by the charity, compared to one received the previous year.

Crimestoppers’ Property Protector, a solution that allows individuals to uniquely mark and register their valuables to protect from theft, was also exhibited at the launch.

Bedfordshire Crimestoppers

DEDICATED TO FIGHTING CRIME IN GREATER MANCHESTER

Recognising the commitment and service of our Crimestoppers Police Coordinators, Volunteer Chair, Edith Com presented a special award to John Bell, who has dedicated the last 13 years to being the charity’s Coordinator in Greater Manchester.

John has handled 65,000 pieces of information passed onto the charity, leading to over 6,000 arrests; the value of property and drugs seized thanks to this runs into millions.

This year a personal best was celebrated with 650 people arrested and charged in Greater Manchester from Crimestoppers information and this is in no small part thanks to the work that John has carried out.

CELEBRITY SUPPORTS CRIMESTOPPERS’ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INITIATIVE

West Country Crimestoppers

Greater Manchester Crimestoppers

A mounted volunteer and a member

of public

Graham Cole, and Tony Lloyd,

(Chair of Bedfordshire)

Bernard Rix, (Bedfordshire volunteer),

and Graham Cole

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an Coley, the GB Olympic Shooting Team Coach, found time in his busy schedule to be on hand with hints and coaching tips for enthusiasts at the Gloucestershire Crimestoppers Clay Pigeon Shooting Day in June 2012.

Over £1,500 was raised at the inaugural event to help in the fight against crime and with the help of an Olympic Coach everyone was sure to have an enjoyable and safe competition.

Eleven teams from the Gloucestershire business community enjoyed the afternoon entertaining their clients, friends and business contacts, whilst also supporting Crimestoppers. The event was organised by John Search of JS Facilities and Darren Stevens from Prestbury Marketing and saw Steve Gooch Estate Agents proudly crowned the winning team on the day. Yet another creative event pulled off by the Gloucestershire Crimestoppers committee in the national fight against crime.

I

The dogs on the street know the dealers…

It is well known that dogs have a very keen sense of smell – based on this fact, if the dogs on the street can smell out drug dealers, some members of the public must also know. This is the premise of a campaign launched by Northern Ireland Crimestoppers to encourage the reporting of drug dealing.

The campaign featured on billboards across Northern Ireland during February and included postcards distributed door-to-door in hotspot areas where drug dealing is rife. As a result drug

Gloucestershire Crimestoppers

calls to Craigavon now make up 42% of all crime calls with drug related calls increasing by 300% in the month following the launch, compared to the same time the year before.

With the effective response from the Northern Ireland public to this campaign, together with Crimestoppers, communities are taking a stand against drug crimes and having a positive impact.

The campaign fused a partnership with Craigavon Community Safety

Northern Ireland Crimestoppers

SHOOTING WITH A GB OLYMPIC STAR

Partnership and District Policing Partnership in conjunction with Northern Ireland Crimestoppers and the Police Service of Northern Ireland which is set to be a strong relationship for future projects.

Ian Coley and shooting student

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NORTH EAST OF ENGLAND, YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDEThis pilot was launched on February 28 in the North East of England, Yorkshire and Humberside, with reported crimes across the region including the theft of manhole covers, lead from church roofs and the stealing of war memorials.

Regional Manager for the area, Dave Hunter, led the project and was ably supported by his volunteer committees working in the respective areas.

A launch event at the County Park Inn in Hessle kicked off the proceedings, with members of the public, police and politicians all in attendance to support the charity’s fight against metal theft across the region.

The successful launch, which saw the local MP congratulate Crimestoppers for its efforts, prompted further campaigns from Crimestoppers staff in various parts of the UK.

NORTHERN IRELANDJustice Minister David Ford launched Northern Ireland’s metal theft scheme on March 29 after figures released

showed that in 2011 there were 669 recorded incidents of metal theft throughout the country, compared to 219 in 2007.

The campaign leaflet ‘Crush metal theft in your community’ was distributed by partners including the Police Service of Northern Ireland, British Telecommunications, Northern Ireland Electricity, Northern Ireland Water and the Housing Executive.

David Ford said: ‘It is easy to think the impact of this crime is purely financial but as the Crimestoppers leaflet points out, this crime can also be extremely dangerous to you, your family and your community.’

EAST & WEST MIDLANDSFurther campaigns were pushed out into areas including the East Midlands and the West Midlands.

The East Midlands campaign has been supported by a video produced by Asian television outlet Pukaar News, who interviewed members of the public from different sectors who had been victims of this crime.

The West Midlands campaign has a particular focus on the theft of catalytic converters, with hundreds of ‘cats’ being

stolen across the region, mainly from high value vehicles such as 4 x 4’s and lorries, as these are easier for the offender to get underneath.

SCOTLANDThe most recent campaign was launched in Scotland in June 2012, and saw Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Justice, join officers from the British Transport Police, Lothian and Borders Police and Crimestoppers, as well as representatives from BT Openreach, Scottish Power and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, to officially launch the campaign.

Kate Jackson, Crimestoppers’ National Manager for Scotland said: ‘Crimestoppers wants to encourage the public to fight back against the metal thieves who create severe disruption for local communities and cost millions to the UK economy.’

Further campaigns are also planned in other parts of the country, so keep your eye out for them in your local press.

The fight against metal theft has been one of Crimestoppers’ main focuses in the early part of 2012, with many of the charity’s regional staff and volunteers running campaigns to raise awareness of the crime and encourage members of the public to pass on information. With the crime said to be costing the UK economy around £770 million per year, campaigns have been launched across the UK since the first pilot in February.

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Tackling metal theft across the UKSHOOTING WITH A

GB OLYMPIC STAR

Watch the

‘Metal Theft in

the East Midlands’

video by searching

on YouTube

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Sussex Crimestoppers’ first fundraising race night at Brighton Racecourse took place in April 2012 and raised almost £3,000 in just one day.

More than 4,500 race goers enjoyed a fun first-racing-event of the season with Channel 4 racing commentator, Derek ‘Tommo’ Thompson, doing a wonderful job of promoting the charity before each race.

Sussex Crimestoppers

CHANNEL 4 COMMENTATOR HELPS SUSSEX HORSE RACING EVENT RAISE ALMOST £3,000

Sussex Crimestoppers co-patrons, Dame Vera Lynn and best-selling crime novelist, Peter James, along with 90 guests attended the evening’s festivities which included a buffet dinner, tipster’s competition, sponsored races and a special snippet of Dame Vera singing a few bars of ‘We’ll Meet Again!’ which added to the already successful day.

WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAYS ABOUT CRIMESTOPPERS...

‘I feel safer’

‘Such a transparent charity’

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‘Crimestoppers is the community’

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‘The power is back in our hands’

‘I knew I could trust them to protect my identity’

‘Help

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‘Saves police money on investigating’

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Connect - Summer 2012

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Transcript of Connect - Summer 2012