Crimestoppers has launched a new initiative to encourage communities to come forward with even more information to help fight crime.
The national campaign will increase general awareness of Crimestoppers, with a focus on raising the charity’s profile with Asian-Muslim communities, who may lack the confidence to report or who are reluctant to come forward with information about criminal activity.
The new campaign targets all crimes, particularly those where people are handling illegally gained money.
Lancashire Crimestoppers has seen considerable success over the past year; receiving 1,297 actionable calls, which have led to 255 criminals being arrested and charged. Almost £1m of property has been recovered, including £750,000 of drugs. Nine firearms and five knives have also been taken off the streets as a result of Crimestoppers information.
Lancashire Constabulary is backing Crimestoppers latest push to increase caller numbers. Neighbourhood policing teams will distribute 500 posters and over 3,000 leaflets featuring the key messages of the campaign across the county.
PC Kay Armstrong from Lancashire Crimestoppers said: "Here in Lancashire, Crimestoppers is incredibly successful. Our total conversion rate of calls leading to arrest and charge is 19.6 per cent, compared to a national average of 7.3 per cent.
"However, one of our aims at Crimestoppers is to increase the number of calls we have from Asian-Muslim communities. We know from our research that many in those communities do not have full confidence in law enforcement agencies and we want this to change."
In 2006 Crimestoppers undertook a pilot project to proactively combat crime that specifically affects the Asian-Muslim communities in Britain. This was successful, but it was not until 2008 that the charity was able to secure sufficient funding to take this work further.
Through this latest campaign, Crimestoppers will now engage with these communities directly in order to detect, reduce and prevent crime by providing police with information that comes from callers.
All callers will remain anonymous and may qualify for a reward if their information brings about a conviction.
Medina Patel, from Lancashire Constabulary, said: "Like any community, we would urge those in Asian-Muslim communities to give information about crimes that concern them, whether this is anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers or directly through police.
"Crimestoppers is a safe and effective way of reporting all crime, from criminal damage to drug dealing, robbery and other very serious crimes.
"Any crimes can be reported through Crimestoppers, particularly if they are of an immediate concern to the local community."
