SINCE Crimestoppers was formed in the UK in 1988 100,000 criminals have been arrested and charged because of the anonymous information passed to the crime fighting charity.
Seventy of the criminals that have been arrested and charged have been from the Isle of Man.
For more than two decades Crimestoppers has received telephone calls to 0800 555 111 or online (provided in the Island through www.crimestoppers.co.im), leading to impressive UK wide statistics:
• 21 people are currently being arrested and charged every day
• 887 people being charged with murder/attempted murder since 1988
• More than £189 million of drugs being seized and the recovery of more than £112 million of goods.
Last year (2009/10) was Crimestoppers’ most successful with 7,474 arrests and charges being made, more than 2,000 higher than ten years ago.
Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, founder and chairman of Crimestoppers UK, said: "Reaching this milestone shows the vital role Crimestoppers plays in the fight against crime and in making our country’s streets and communities safer. Many criminals would never have been caught without Crimestoppers.
"When I set up the charity more than 20 years ago, I wanted to empower the man -and woman - in the street with the means to hit back against criminals they could see were ruining our society - but without any risk of the informant being identified by those they were targeting.
"Anonymity for those providing information to the police has been the key to our success.
"These landmark figures are testimony to the way that the public has embraced Crimestoppers and they are the result of an amazing amount of hard work from everyone associated with the charity. I am immensely proud of what Crimestoppers has achieved."
Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), said: "This milestone is testament to the valuable contribution that Crimestoppers has made over more than two decades in assisting the police to bring offenders to justice.
“Their appeals make a tangible difference to criminal detection by allowing those with critical information to pass it on anonymously.”
Stuart McCudden, chairman of Isle of Man Crimestoppers, said: “This is a tremendous milestone for the charity on a UK wide basis. Fortunately, the Island remains a safe place to live but there is still criminal activity.
"Since the charity was established here 12 years ago we have recorded over 70 people being arrested and charged directly as the result of calls to Crimestoppers.
"In the last year, the numbers of calls here increased by 20 per cent which is encouraging and indicates people are not prepared to accept criminal activity within our shores. It remains important that people understand that we are not the police but an independent charity committed to the fight against crime."
Isle of Man Crimestoppers is a Manx registered charity affiliated with the UK scheme and a team of local volunteers undertake activities to raise awareness of the objectives of the charity.
In recent years, the charity has launched a number of specific initiatives including:
• Fearless – aimed at promoting and introducing young people to the service provided by the charity. This service will be launched in the Island in the Autumn.
• Operation Captura and Operation Return – aimed at capturing criminals on the run in Spain and the Netherlands respectively. 34 fugitives of the 50 being sought have been captured as a result of Operation Captura.
• Most Wanted – The Crimestoppers website (www.crimestoppers-uk.org/wanted/) allows the public to view photos, watch CCTV footage and read descriptions of people who the police are currently looking for. Since November 2005, more than 900 of those featured have been arrested. The Island’s website (www.crimestoppers.co.im) carries local appeals.
