Crimestoppers received nearly 600 pieces of actionable information over the last year of April 2010 – March 2011 about criminals operating in Cambridgeshire. This information assisted with 40 arrests. [20 May 2011]
 
Ann Scott, Eastern Regional Manager for Crimestoppers said: “A huge thank you must go to the people of Cambridgeshire for using the charity to pass on information about crime. 40 criminals have now been brought to justice who may have still been on the street without the charity’s and public help.

"We’re extremely proud that Crimestoppers continues to play such a vital role in helping to make our local community a safer place to live.

“I’d like to reassure the public that our service is completely anonymous and in the 23 years that the charity’s been running no one has ever been identified.  The service is run for you, the public, to help make your community a safer place to live. We’re not part of the Police or government, we’re an independent charity, so by contacting us you’ll never have to give a statement to the Police or go to court.”

The year's activities

This year has seen a newly formed Cambridgeshire Crimestoppers volunteer group who has been involved in a number of successful events promoting  Fearless – the Crimestoppers brand for young people. One Peterborough event, attended by the Mayor, resulted in more visitors to the Fearless website than from larger cities, such as Wembley.

Recently Crimestoppers offered a reward of up to £5,000 for information on a series of sexual assaults across Cambridge and the public responded very well. The appeal, which features on the charity’s Most Wanted site, received extensive coverage in the media.

The information is key

Detective Inspector Tim Nasta said: “The information we receive through Crimestoppers is invaluable and key to helping us to detect and deter crime. The support and involvement of local communities is essential to fighting crime in Cambridgeshire and I would encourage anyone with information about criminals operating within the county to contact police or if they do not wish to be identified to use Crimestoppers.”

Nationally, the charity has achieved a one per cent increase in actionable information and a ten per cent increase in the number of people arrested and charged as a result of information passed to Crimestoppers. This shows that the quality of information Crimestoppers has received during the past year has been of high quality, whilst there is only a one per cent increase in information, many more individuals have been arrested as shown by the ten per cent increase year on year.