Scotland Crimestoppers launched its latest campaign on St Andrew’s Day, Tuesday 30 November, to encourage people in all communities to pass on information about crime and criminals in their neighbourhoods.

The charity’s Crime Affects All Communities campaign is being launched initially in Glasgow’s Southside and will focus on promoting the Crimestoppers anonymous phone number, especially to those in minority communities, to pass on any information they may have about crime. Local residents will be asked to contact the crime-fighting charity on all aspects of criminality – from tax fraud to terrorism, from hate crime to drug dealing - to help make all our communities safer.

Posters, flyers and cards will be distributed

The campaign will use posters, flyers and cards in surgeries, community centres and religious premises and inputs will be delivered at meetings and events over the coming weeks and months.

Working to connect with all communities

Crimestoppers recognises that all communities have concerns about crime and sometimes people from Muslim or other cultural backgrounds and communities feel isolated through language barriers or location. Sometimes, communities suffer disproportionately from the effects of crime.

Scotland Crimestoppers has resolved to engage with these communities directly in order to better achieve its mission which is to provide a means to detect, reduce and prevent crime through the provision of information about crime and criminals to the law enforcement agencies from anonymous sources. The charity acknowledges the sensitivities involved and only focuses on the criminal, not the ethnicity, religion, sexuality or any other characteristic.

You know your community best

Members of the public can also pass on information anonymously online using the secure online form on this website.

People know their communities and so are best placed to notice strange or suspicious activity that doesn’t usually take place. By contacting Crimestoppers and passing on information, no matter how small, people can keep their families and communities safer.

Above: Kate Jackson at the launch. Photo by Craig Borthwick.

"Tell us about suspicious activity"

Kate Jackson from Crimestoppers says: “Through this campaign, we want to say to people; ‘you know your community so we need you tell us about suspicious activity and crime that will prevent people hurting your community’.

The campaign is being run with the support of Strathclyde Police who welcomed the opportunity to support Crimestoppers latest initiative.

Crimestoppers is anonymous and independent

Community Safety Inspector, Lewis McIntyre, from Govan Police office said: “We are delighted to be involved in the campaign.  In many cases, people who become a victim of a crime or witness a crime are often afraid to contact the police as they are worried about what might happen if they do.  By contacting Crimestoppers, who are independent from the police, they won’t be asked who they are just what they know and this information will be passed to the police anonymously.”

“I would encourage anyone who has information about a crime, who for whatever reason does not want to contact the police, to get in touch with Crimestoppers”. 

Take action against criminals

Councillor Matt Kerr, Chair of Govan & Craigton Community Planning Partnership, urged people to take advantage of the hotline. He said: “Crimestoppers offers people the perfect opportunity to take action against criminals who can make life miserable for law abiding residents. The phoneline is the ideal way for people to help police clean up our communities without fear of recriminations.”

Tariq Iqbal of the Scottish Police Muslim Association says: “We’re delighted to support Crimestoppers on this campaign which will highlight to all minority communities how they can assist in the fight against crime by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously.”