Film brings Crimestoppers message to young people

Crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers has unveiled a new viral video called 'Don't let it be too late' to introduce young people to their youth brand Fearless and highlight the service the charity provides.

The concept

The film clip is a dramatic portrayal of the way young people have, in some ways, become desensitized to seeing violent acts happen around them and in turn may have become comfortable with not actively speaking about these acts of violence.

Fearless allows young people to give information about crime anonymously via the 0800 555 111 hotline and through fearless.org.

Single launched this week in aid of the charity Crimestoppers

The Cleveland committee of crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers are helping to launch a single today to help raise awareness of victims of crime.

The single The Last Flower is on sale now and for every CD sold £1.50 goes directly to the charity.

Though I'm usually into my flamenco and and having a strum on my Spanish guitar, this song really 'strikes a chord' so to speak.

Songwriter Al Sask, who penned The Last Flower has a history of writing songs with an emotional subject after he wrote Forever Young: a song for Wootton Bassett.

Do your bit in the fight against crime and get yourself a copy of The Last Flower today.

'Clean up' on crime as pensioners fight off knife attacker with cleaning liquid

An elderly pair of women managed to ward off a would-be attacker by brandishing a pair of scissors and a bottle of Flash cleaning fluid at a motorway service station in Selby, North Yorkshire.

June Cawkill and Norma Doherty were working at the service station when the cowardly criminal entered and threatened the pair with a knife, ordering them to give him the money from the till.

But the perky pensioners scared the attacker off, one grabbing a pair of scissors and the other chasing him out of the shop with a bottle of Flash cleaning liquid which she'd been using to wipe down the shelves.

The bungled attempt proves that crime doesn't pay as the two women really showed their knife-wielding nemesis who was boss!

Though the bravery of Norma and June can only be described as 'extraordinario' as we would say back home, don't worry if you haven't got any cleaner to hand...instead you can play your part in making your community safer by giving information about crimes anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through the online giving information form.

One down...nine to go!

Less than one day into an international crackdown on Britain's most wanted criminals an arrest has already been made! Wow! And I thought I worked fast (despite my advancing years before you ask).

Operation Captura - which launched on Monday - is the campaign run by the charity Crimestoppers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). The campaign works to catch the UK's most wanted criminals who are believed to be on the run in Spain - otherwise known as the 'Costa crooks.'

Most wanted fugitive Everardus WIJTVLIET was arrested at roughly 6.30pm Monday evening in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, where officers from the Spanish National Police swooped in and caught the first of the ten.

The remaining nine fugitives are now thought to be running scared (and who can blame them) as 39 out of the 60 wanted under Operation Captura have now been caught. They can run but they can't hide!

Read more about the arrest here

Criminals hiding on the Costa beware as Operation Captura returns!

Once again the crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers is cracking down on criminals on the run in the Spanish Costas.

Teaming up with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Crimestoppers has today launched the sixth batch of appeals under Operation Captura to catch some of the UK's most dangerous criminals. Wanted for serious crimes including murder, drugs trafficking and child sex offences, these guys are really some of the worst I've seen in all my years of fighting crime.

Launched in Alicante, an area of Spain with a large ex-pat community and a potential hideout for fugitives on the run, Crimestoppers also works with Spanish police to catch some of the most dangerous criminals from the UK who try to escape to the Spanish Costas.

The campaign works because members of the public use the Crimestoppers website to view these criminals and know that they can contact the charity with information and never be identified.

The Crimestoppers anonymity promise has never been broken in the 23 years that the charity's been running. People can give information via the 0800 555 111 hotline or through the online giving information form.

See if you can help catch some of Britain's worst crooks...

Read more about the ten most wanted here

Young people to become Fearless against crime in the Isle of Man

Young people in the Isle of Man are to become Fearless in the fight against crime as the charity Crimestoppers launched its service for young people in the region.

The all-day launch event was held on 5 February at the Strand Shopping Centre in Douglas. Kicking off at 9am, it featured young people from Douglas Royal Ladies Football and Ballakermeen High School, who backed the launch.

Crimestoppers representatives were also on hand to get members of the public involved.

Fearless is the youth brand of crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers. The service includes the website fearless.org - which contains useful information on crimes that affect young people and provides them with a platform to give information about crime anonymously.

Information about crime can also be given via the Crimestoppers website and the hotline 0800 555 111.

Check out fearless.org now!

Help catch the Most Wanted distraction burglars in the UK!

As you know, in my line of work I'm apposed to any form of crime...but there are some offenders that really are the lowest of the low. Distraction burglars trick their way into people's homes - often targeting the elderly and vulnerable who live alone - to steal from them.

Distraction burglars take advantage of the people who trust them and enter people's properties on the premise of 'reading the meter' or telling the victim they urgently need 'repairs' to their roof, which they can provide. 

Burglaries traditionally peak during February, so to help catch the worst offenders of distraction burglary and to warn members of the public about who they let in their homes, crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers has launched the Top Ten Most Wanted Distraction Burglars campaign.

Some of these individuals have not only stolen money and possessions from elderly people - some of whom were over 90 years of age - but they've traumatised them further by launching violent attacks on them because they know the victims can't fend for themselves. 

You can make a real difference by looking at the images and descriptions of the top ten Most Wanted distraction burglars and giving any information you have anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through the untraceable online form.

Remember, calls aren't recorded, your number won't be identified and you'll never have to go to court.

View the top ten Most Wanted distraction burglars here

Know someone selling alcohol to under 18's?

My friends at Scotland Crimestoppers have joined forces with drinks giant Diageo to combat the problem of alcohol being served to young people under the age of 18.

The ground-breaking initiative aims to crack down on adults who buy booze for youngsters and to stop those who purposely sell drink to young people under 18 who make money for themselves without thinking of the consequences. The four-week campaign comes after a study carried out by Fife Alchohol Partnership found that a quarter of school pupils in Fife reported to binge drinking.

I might enjoy the odd glass of sangria with my dinner, but binge drinking is a different topic altogether. For one, there are the health implications associated, particularly for young people. And it can of course leave young people vulnerable to all sorts of unsavoury characters who target those who've had a few too many.

Find out more about the campaign on the Crimestoppers website.

Do you recognise the UK's Most Wanted?

If only we all had a secret weapon up our sleeves (or concealed under our capes) in the fight against crime! Crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers certainly have, as the Most Wanted section of their website continues to prove to be an effective tool in the battle against Britain's bad guys.

Since launching in 2005, over 1000 people listed on Most Wanted have been arrested - that's an incredible 21% success rate! A big pat on the back for all those brave members of the public who've helped catch the nation's biggest crooks!

Most Wanted really helps, as it allow members of the public to view images of wanted people and then pass on vital information about their whereabouts. So you can view people that are wanted in your area and play an active role in making your community safer.

Remember that all information given via the 0800 555 111 hotline or the untraceable online giving information form are completely anoynmous and no one has ever been identified in the 22 years since Crimestoppers began! So you're in safe hands...unlike the UK's Most Wanted....

Crime-fighting charity celebrates Chinese New Year!

Just as I've fully recovered from all the festivities of Christmas and the New Year and got back into the crime-fighting routine, along comes...the Chinese New Year! Perfect timing for another celebration!
 

The Chinese New Year is celebrated on 3 February 2011 and marking the start of the Year of the Rabbit are Gloucestershire Crimestoppers, who will be holding a fundraising dinner to celebrate the occasion and raise money for the crime-fighting charity.

Everyone's invited to the celebration so if you want to back Crimestoppers in the region get involved and buy your tickets today!  The money raised certainly goes to a good cause - figures show that between April and December 2010, Crimestoppers received 664 pieces of useful information about crime in Gloucestershire. The information covered crime types ranging from drug dealing to money laundering to assault to drink driving. In addition, nearly £14,000 worth of drugs and over £2,500 of stolen goods have been recovered in the last nine months.  Great work guys!

For more information and to buy your tickets see the Gloucestershire pages of the Crimestoppers website.

Don't let thieves get their hands on your Christmas presents!

It's funny how Christmas suddenly seems so long ago. Once those decorations come down and you get back into the work routine the festive season feels like a distant memory...that is, until you look around and remember all the great presents you received! New cape, smellies, Enrique Iglesius album and some shiny new leather trousers are just some of the goodies that Santa brought me this Crimbo.

Could you imagine my dismay then if a burglar tried to target mi casa and steal all my Christmas goodies, never to be seen again?! A happy new year it would definitely not be!

I saw yesterday though that crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers has launched their first ever product to tackle exactly this problem.

The ingenious Crimestoppers Property Protector, launched as the charity celebrates its 23rd year, has seen Crimestoppers expand its work to help people protect their valuables and to deter those pesky thieves. The product's also backed by PC Tony Stamp (aka Graham Cole) of 'The Bill' fame.

Read more about how you can protect your Christmas gifts with Crimestoppers Property Protector

Drink driver takes goat on 'date'

I've heard of some far-fetched excuses to avoid punishment before but in all my years of crime-fighting this one really takes the biscuit!

A 54-year-old farmer in Poland was three times over the drink drive limit when he was stopped by police. As the police officers approached his vehicle they noticed an usual figure sitting in the passenger seat....his goat!

When the police started questioning the farmer he claimed that the goat had been feeling 'lonely' of late and so he'd taken the wee fella to a neighbouring farm to go on a 'date' with a female goat.

Who says romance is dead eh?!

Apparently the goats really hit it off and the man admitted to sipping a few vodkas to celebrate. What wasn't a cause for celebration though was the fact that he lost his license and may well face jail for drink driving.

That'll serve him right for all that 'kidding' around!

Crimestoppers offers 10k reward to catch those responsible for architect Joanna Yeates' murder

Crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers has offered a reward of £10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the death of landscape architect Joanna Yeates.

Joanna Yeates' body was found in Longwood Lane, Bristol, by a couple out walking their dog on Christmas Day. Post mortem tests revealed that she was strangled.

4x4 sighting

Police are appealing for any information people may have about Miss Yeates' disapearance.  A 4x4 was seen near to where Miss Yeates' body was found in Failand, near Bristol, which may hold clues. 

Police now believe the landscape architect returned to her Clifton home safely on 17 December - the night she was last seen alive. Any information from those last hours or days could be vital, so if you have any information contact Crimestoppers anonymously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Facebook campaign

On 4 January, Avon and Somerset Police launched a campaign on Facebook encouraging people to come forward with information about Joanna Yeates' death. The campaign involves an advert being shown on the site that will allow people to contact the force's incident room via the social networking site.

£10,000 Crimestoppers reward

To give information anonymously about this or any other crime call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or fill out the untraceable online Giving Information Form. Remember though peeps, only information passed to Crimestoppers will be eligible to receive the £10,000 reward offered by the charity.

The Most Wanted christmas tree around!

It may be the festive season but sadly crime never takes a holiday. So crime-fighting charity have put together their Most Wanted christmas tree, which shows the twelve individuals still wanted under the campaign Operation Captura.

Following the arrest of yet another Most Wanted individual, Dennis O'Brien on 18 December, Crimestoppers have put a festive spin on finding the remaining twelve by showing their faces on what is surely the 'most wanted' Christmas tree this year!

After an intial 50 appeals, only 12 remain, showing the success of the campaign which aims to track down criminals on the run in Spain who are wanted by UK law enforcement.

See if you can identify any of Operation Captura's dirty dozen here.

Another Most Wanted is captured in Spain!

So another one bites the dust as crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers confirm the arrest of another of Britain's most wanted individuals under Operation Captura. As the 38th arrest out of 50 appeals, the operation, which aims to locate wanted fugitives known to be on the run in Spain shows no sign of slowing down.

Dennis Patrick O'Brien was arrested on 18 December in the Costa Del Sol. Identified as one of Britain's most wanted men in December 2007, O'Brien faces prosecution for conspiracy to supply cocaine with a street value of £166 million.

We all know that crime doesn't pay but proof of this old adage came in November this year when the High Court granted SOCA's application to seize O'Brien's assets including a pub and substantial funds from his bank account.

Finding O'Brien wasn't easy to say the least. The hunt for him went all over the globe including Peru, England, the Netherlands, Spain and saw gang members tailed to Hong Kong and Dubai.

Read more about the arrest here

Fake cash funds crime

As the charity Crimestoppers rounds up its national Counterfeiting campaign we leave you with some important information about fake money, one of the strands of the campaign.

First of all you should be aware that street level criminals often use fake notes to buy cheap items in shops so that they get a large amount of change (made up of genuine money) in return.  So if you work in retail or banking it's very important to know the signs of how to spot a fake.

Of course some fake money is easy to miss at a glance, so of course it's important for all consumers to be aware of how to spot fake cash too.  Learn how to spot fake currency at:
fakesfundcrime.org.uk

You can also watch Crimestoppers' video below about fake money and how it can affect you.

Fake DVDs fund crime

As the charity Crimestoppers continues its month-long Counterfeiting campaign, today we're focusing on the problem of fake DVDs.

In the run up to Christmas you may find yourself tempted to grab a 'bargain' and buy something which you know might not be a genuine branded product just to save a few pennies. But by buying fake goods you could be funding serious organised crime including drugs smuggling and people trafficking.

Then there's the disappointment of the person who realises they've been bought a fake...that's not the kind of surprise you want on Christmas day! And I'm sure you won't be too popular either!

Find out more about the links between fake DVDs and serious organised crime at fakesfundcrime.org

Meanwhile the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) have trained a crack team of specialist sniffer dogs who can locate hidden DVDs by smelling the chemicals used to make optical discs.

Watch sniffer dogs Lucky and Flo in action, fighting crime canine-style:

Fake fags fund crime

Did you know...fake products may seem like a cheap deal, but you can actually get more than you bargained for.

Take fake cigarettes for example, they can contain all sorts of nasties. Tests have shown that as well as containing excessive levels of tar, nicotine and chemicals, fake fags can also contain sawdust, actual insects and (brace yourselves) rat droppings!

Also, because fake cigarettes are sold on the sly, it's harder for police to make sure that they're not sold to under-18s....so children are more likely to get hold of them.

There are a number of ways you can tell that your cigarettes are fake. To find out about how to spot fakes and for more information about the dangers of fake fags go to Crimestoppers' microsite: fakesfundcrime.org

Remember, you should be suspicious if you see anyone selling cigarettes on the street, at their own house or flat, from vans, in pubs and clubs, at betting shops, at car boot sales, in tanning salons and in workplaces. It's obvious that these are not the usual outlets where cigarettes are sold so be wary!

Fake fashion funds crime

To tempt you into buying their products, counterfeiters often sell fakes at lower prices than originals would be sold for. Don’t be fooled – fake fashion items are often lower in quality than genuine goods and could fall apart soon after purchase.

But beware...buying fakes can be dangerous as well as inconvenient.  This is especially true for kids’ clothing, which is subject to legal safety standards that fakes are unlikely to comply with.

This can be very dangerous, for example if the material is flammable or in the case of hi-tech clothing items like insulated hiking jackets or waterproof shoes which fail to provide protection in extreme conditions. Fake sunglasses can also provide inadequate UV protection from sunlight leaving the wearer at risk of eye damage.

So you might think you're saving a few pennies but is it really worth the risk?  Or worse still, you might think you've got a bargain Christmas present for someone but then they realise they've been given a fake!
 
Read more about fake fashion at Fakesfundcrime.org or watch Crimestoppers' video Fake Fashion Funds Crime.

A very real problem as charity tackles fakes

The charity Crimestoppers is urging people to call 0800 555 111 with information about who's making and selling fake products.

Crimestoppers has launched a national campaign today which highlights the links between fake goods and serious organised crime. As well as supporting criminals, buying fakes puts you at risk of identity theft among other dangers. Didn't realise? Well, entering your debit or credit card details into a website that deals in fakes means that you're essentially giving your card details, address and your name to criminals.

Links to serious organised crime

Many people don't realise that by buying fakes they are helping to fund criminals who are sometimes involved in other crimes including drugs and people trafficking, prostitution, weapons dealing and money laundering.

The campaign is divided into five strands:

• Fake DVDs
• Fake money
• Fake tobacco
• Fake fashion
• The harm fake products can cause

For more information about the dangers of buying fake products go to the campaign microsite:
fakesfundcrime.org

The campaign is being run with the support of the Home Office, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), the Bank of England, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), the Film Distributors Association (FDA) and clothing company Pentland.

Find out more about the campaign by visiting the Crimestoppers website.