Crimestoppers launches anonymous service in Scottish prisons

[23 September 2008]

For the first time, Scottish prisoners will be able to call the charity Crimestoppers with information about crime in complete anonymity.

Telephone calls that prisoners usually make are routinely monitored by the prison service, but an added pin number to the Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111 ensures that calls are not able to be monitored, traced or recorded.

Due to knowledge that the prison population is likely to have about crime, Crimestoppers wanted to offer the same guarantee of anonymity to prisoners as it does to members of the general public, to encourage them to pass on information they may have about crime.

Dave Cording, Crimestoppers' Director of Operations said: “Crimestoppers is now in its 20th year and has had immense success with 17 arrests being made each day as a result of information that we receive. We are delighted that the Scottish Prison Service has given us this valuable opportunity to expand our community service into their prisons.”

Adam Findlay, Chair of Scotland Crimestoppers added: “The charity is unique – Crimestoppers is the only charity that helps law enforcement solve crime. By enabling prisoners to have the same guarantee of anonymity which everyone else has with Crimestoppers, we are hopeful that prisoners will pass on information they may have about crime to help make life safer on both the inside and the outside.”

Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service said: “I welcome this initiative by Crimestoppers which I believe will be of significant help in encouraging prisoners to share information to aid in the detection and prevention of crime. We have been working very closely with partner agencies in recent years and this initiative is a logical progression of that joint working.”

In the first two months of a pilot scheme run in Yorkshire and Humberside prisons, three arrests were made as a result of information passed to Crimestoppers.

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For further information please contact Lisa Gains, Crimestoppers' Media Officer on 020 8254 3226 / 07795 564313 or lisa.gains@crimestoppers-uk.org or Tom Fox, Head of Communications at the Scottish Prison Service on 0131 244 8463 or Tom.Fox@sps.pnn.gov.uk.

Notes to editors

• Crimestoppers is an independent charity dedicated to solving crimes and taking criminals off the streets. Around 17 people are arrested and charged every day as a result of information given to Crimestoppers. One person every five days is charged with murder.

• Since Crimestoppers began in 1988, it has received over a million actionable calls, resulting in over 87,385 arrests and charges. Over £103 million of goods have been recovered and over £159 million worth of drugs have been seized.

• Crimestoppers UK was founded by Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, Chairman of Trustees. In 1988, he launched Crimestoppers in the Metropolitan Police area. Crimestoppers is built on a three-way partnership between the business community, the police and the media. Charity number: 1108687