Crimestoppers UK

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Crimestoppers UK, also known as the Crimestoppers Trust, is a charity independent of the police in the United Kingdom. Inspired by the American organization of the same name, it operates an anonymous online form and phone service tip line.

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The service is available twenty-four hours a day, all year round, with all information received sanitised to protect the anonymity of the service users before being disseminated to the relevant authorities. Crimestoppers works with commercial and third-sector partners to share advice on keeping safe for individuals and communities.

History

Crime Stoppers was founded in 1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. [1] Six years later, Detective Inspector Mike Cole of Norfolk Constabulary learnt about the scheme on a police visit to Peoria, Illinois. Impressed with Crime Stoppers, Cole presented a report to his supervisors, who gave their approval for a Norfolk scheme. Jim Carter, the manager of the local Woolworths, subsequently received a letter from Chief Superintendent Peter Howse asking for support. Carter became a co-founder. [2]

During the 1985 London riots, Keith Blakelock was murdered at the Broadwater Farm Estate in London and the police appealed for information, stating that people knew who had been responsible but were frightened of coming forward. This led to the founding of the Community Action Trust (CAT) by Michael Ashcroft and his business colleagues in 1988. The CAT was a phone line where people called and anonymously provided information about crime, which was then forwarded to the police.

The CAT was renamed Crimestoppers Trust in 1995; by then it had expanded to cover the whole of the UK.

Since Crimestoppers began in 1988, it reports that it has received more than 2.2 million actionable calls, resulting in more than 151,000 arrests and charges, more than £139 million worth of stolen goods recovered and more than £367 million worth of illegal drugs seized. [3] [4]

Operations

Crimestoppers offers cash rewards to encourage people to come forward with information. The exact amount is determined on a case-by-case basis, and depends on the information provided and the resulting positive impact.

Crimestoppers’ Most Wanted is a UK-wide gallery with images of individuals wanted by law enforcement. Crimestoppers’ Most Wanted has been running since 2005 and is updated by the individual police forces. Crimestoppers states that Most Wanted has resulted in more than 5,000 arrests. [5]

Fearless, Crimestoppers’ youth service, was established to provide young people aged 11-17 years the opportunity to give information about crime. Fearless has its own dedicated website and separate social media channels.

Crimestoppers runs national campaigns throughout the year focusing on crime priorities such as violence against women and girls, drink and drug driving and knife crime. These campaigns raise awareness of the crime types, highlight the signs to spot and encourage the public to give information anonymously.

Television Appeals on ITV

Crimestoppers appeals first aired in 1988 on many regional ITV stations such as HTV (Wales and West), Thames/LWT, TSW (later Westcountry) Tyne Tees and Granada. In all but one of these regions (TSW/Westcountry having its own formatted appeals), the opening would feature a grey background with the words 'Crime' in white and 'Stoppers' in red with a moving mouth montage and an increasingly loud tone before the actual appeal aired. The appeals, ironically, scared some children watching at the time.

In 1996, Darlows Estate Agents began to sponsor Crimestoppers appeals in the HTV Wales region.

By 2002, the appeals aired had become fewer and the last Crimestoppers appeal aired in April of that year.

Real Radio also used to run a two minute Crimestoppers announcement at 11:00 on weekdays in the South Wales area.

Structure

Crimestoppers has National and Regional Managers across the UK who liaise with local police force. There are 100 staff at Crimestoppers, along with over 300 volunteers UK-wide, led by local county-based Volunteer Committees.

The chair of Crimestoppers is its founder, Michael Ashcroft. Crimestoppers is governed by a board of trustees who carry the responsibility of company directors. Crimestoppers’ chief executive officer is Mark Hallas.

Funding

Crimestoppers’ income is generated by national and local government grants, public sector funding, trusts and foundations and the public through donations and fundraising. Crimestoppers also has corporate partners who fund a range of services. [6]

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References

  1. ↑ "Crime Stoppers in Albuquerque". U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  2. ↑ "Blue Plaques".
  3. ↑ "Impact Report". September 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Shaw, Danny (18 October 2018). "Why more young people are using Crimestoppers". BBC News. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  5. ↑ "Over 5,000 Most Wanted arrests".
  6. ↑ "Annual Report".
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