Crimestoppers' guest articles

• Domestic Violence - a decade of progress? By Terry Thomas

  Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, Terry Thomas, runs through the developments in confronting domestic violence over the last ten years for Crimestoppers. He explains how changes in legislation and improvements in the services available to domestic violence victims are starting to tackle a crime currently responsible for 35% of all murders. [May 2010]

• Dead Like You By Peter James

  Peter James, international best-selling crime thriller novelist, screen writer and producer, is co-patron of Sussex Crimestoppers. His new novel, Dead Like You, was released on 27 May 2010. Peter explains to Crimestoppers what inspired him to write Dead Like You, the sixth novel in his popular Roy Grace series.

• Hot stuff? By Lorraine Gamman and Adam Thorpe

  Founder and Director of the Design Against Crime Research Centre, Lorraine Gamman and Adam Thorpe, Creative Director of the Centre, tell Crimestoppers how burglars’ habits are changing as well as how design can help to prevent and deter crime.[March 2010]

• How we made Liverpool safer at night by Alison Doherty

  Alison Doherty, responsible for supporting Citysafe - the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership in Liverpool, has written a guest article for Crimestoppers. [February 2010]

• Is your home at risk of burglary? How adult and child burglars operate by Dr Paul Cromwell

  Dr Paul Cromwell, expert in criminal justice and criminology, tells Crimestoppers about the American experience of burglary that can be applied to British burglars. Using research from interviews with offenders, Dr Cromwell reveals the thought processes that lead to a home being burgled. He argues that such an invaluable insight can help residents prevent themselves from being victims. [December 2009]

• Personal robbery and street crime: What to do by Professor Gloria Laycock

  Professor Gloria Laycock, Director of the UCL Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, demystifies some of the myths surrounding personal robbery and mugging. While many believe that an increase in such crimes must relate to ‘serious street robbers marauding the streets at night', the figures actually suggest that it's more often young people stealing mobile phones from each other. By identifying the specific forms of personal robbery, Professor Laycock thinks that solutions will be much easier to find. [January 2010]

• Returning to the ‘bad old days' of football hooliganism by Dr Geoff Pearson

  To coincide with the launch of 60 new appeals on Crimestoppers' Most Wanted to identify fans involved in the violence at a West Ham vs. Millwall match, football violence expert Dr Geoff Pearson explains to the charity why we are not returning to the ‘bad old days' of football hooliganism. Despite an apparently continuous flow of football disorder incidents reported in the media, he argues that trouble at football matches is an infrequent occurrence these days, although hooligan firms who fight rival groups are still a serious and significant problem. [November 2009]

• School massacres – Prevention by psychological profiling by Bill O'Brien

  Bill O'Brien – author and ex-police sergeant who responded to a high-profile mass murder in New Zealand in the 1990s – tells Crimestoppers about the psychological make-up of mass killers. The perpetrators of school massacres tend to fit into the ‘pseudo commander' category and O'Brien argues that further mass murders can be prevented by identifying those displaying certain personality traits. [October 2009]

• Be safe and stay safe: Practical personal safety tips by Andrew Greenslade M.Ed

  Andrew Greenslade, former long-service police detective, special branch officer, crime investigation skills trainer and Sky TV's resident UK police expert, shares some personal safety tips with Crimestoppers. Based on testimonials from real, serious and violent crimes, Andrew's advice could help prevent you from being a victim of crime. [September 2009]

• Seeking justice over international war criminals in the UK by David Brown

  Until last month, those involved in war crimes in other countries, including the Rwanda genocide, could take advantage of a loophole in UK law that allowed them to roam our streets as free men. Now the UK law has changed, but there is still more work to be done. [August 2009]

• Charles Cumming on espionage, M16 and UK crime

  In 1995 Charles Cumming was approached to work for the MI6. Although he didn't end up working for them, it did inspire Charles to write about crime. Today, Charles is one of the world's leading authors specialising in espionage novels. 'Typhoon', his most recent book, was labelled by The Times as one of the top ten thrillers of 2008.

• Dirty tactics of the MI5 - Sending the wrong message to British Muslim youths by Mohamed Nur

  Mohamed Nur claims he was threatened by the MI5 after an agent gained access to his house by posing as a postman. He was told to work for them as an informant, or risk a life of detention, harassment and travel restrictions. Mohamed tells Crimestoppers about how this experience has led him to question the years he has spent helping disadvantaged young people to leave gangs and strive for better futures. Furthermore, he argues, how can it can be justified that the Security Service used dirty tactics to try to recruit the same people who discourage youths from taking the law into their own hands? [June 2009]

• Is Crimestoppers the new way to beat the credit crunch

  This week, Steve Bird of The Times wrote an article about Crimestoppers' end of year statistics. The article, which he called 'Crimestoppers pays out record sum as callers swap tip-offs for cash', raises a possible link between the recession and people claiming Crimestoppers' reward monies. In a similar article for The Independent, Rob Sharp suggests that contacting Crimestoppers is 'the latest recession-busting money spinner'. Is Crimestoppers really the new way to beat the credit crunch? [May 2009]

• Myths and misconceptions about forensic science

  An interview with forensic scientist Professor Allan Jamieson. [9 April 2009]

• Wannabe criminals beware, book deals don't pay by Paul Knight

  Paul Knight is a crime writer and reformed East End criminal who specialises in the London gangster underworld. His latest novel, Coding of a Concrete Animal is available on Amazon. [February 2009]

• What should be done about Somali pirates by Daniel Sekulich

  Daniel Sekulich is a Canadian journalist who has spent the last few years investigating maritime crime. Piracy is a serious organised crime that has international effects and Sekulich assesses what can be done to tackle the problem. The international response to Somali pirates will have a huge effect on how piracy is dealt with from now onwards across the world and will be crucial in our understanding of what is actually possible.[January 2009]

• Paying the price of knife crime 50 years on by Wensley Clarkson

  Crime writer Wensley Clarkson compares the current wave of knife crime with a similar spate of violence in London more than 50 years ago. Interviewing ex-gangster Gordon McShane, Clarkson finds that although children today have similar reasons for joining gangs, young knife carriers in our current society don't know where to draw the line when it comes to violence. [December 2008]

• Fact and fiction by John Escott

  Writer John Escott tells Crimestoppers about his fascination with crime fiction and how it's moved on apace since the 'golden age' of the detective story. He goes on to examine some real-life crimes, looking in particular at the case of the Great Train Robbery and one of the robbers, Ronnie Biggs. [November 2008]

• ‘Essex Boys and the new breed of criminal' by Bernard O'Mahoney

  Ex-member of the notorious 'Essex Boys' gang Bernard O'Mahoney tells Crimestoppers why he's worried about the way crime is being tackled in Britain today, and how he learned that being in a gang is far from glamorous. [September 2008]

• 'Adopt a burglar's way of thinking' by Michael Fraser

  'Beat the Burglar' Michael Fraser explains how to think like an opportunist thief in order to make your home burglar-proof. [August 2008]

• Inside the UK prison service by Jim Dawkins

  Drawing from his experiences as a prison officer in some of London's most notorious prisons, and more recently from his Channel 5 programme 'Banged Up', Jim Dawkins shares his insight into the problems of the UK prison service. [July 2008]

• Anti-Social Behaviour Policy - Driving fast, running on empty? by Professor Peter Squires

  We entered the 21st century with concerns about rowdy and anti-social youth. Moving towards the end of the decade, communities are panicking about youth weapon carrying and violence. [June 2008]

• Turning down the noise and breaking down the wall of silence on gun crime by Professor Peter Squires

  A continuing problem in tackling gun crime in Britain has been the reluctance of victims to report it or witnesses to come forwards with evidence. The difficulties that the police had while investigating the Rhys Jones murder were not untypical. [May 2008]

• High-tech crime: The new dangers by Roy Ramm

  We've all embraced internet shopping, plastic money and online banking quickly and readily. However, we're fast recognising that with these digital conveniences also lies the ‘cyber-criminal'. [April 2008]

• Ipswich prostitute murder trial by Martin Brunt

  In mid-December 2006, the bodies of five prostitutes were found in Ipswich. On 21st December 2006, Steve Wright from Ipswich was charged with the murders. Martin Brunt reported on the Ipswich murders for Sky News and tells Crimestoppers about Day One in the life of a crime reporter at Ipswich Crown Court. [January 2008]