CRIMESTOPPERS STRATEGY 2015 - 2020 crimestoppers-uk.org
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CRIMESTOPPERS
STRATEGY
2015 – 2020
crimestoppers-uk.org
Since its launch in 1988, the Charity
Crimestoppers Trust1 has focused on
providing an anonymous service for the
public to give information about crime.
In partnership with but independent from
police and the wider law enforcement
community, this information has solved
thousands of crimes, helped victims
and their families as well as the brave
individuals who have told us what they
know about criminals.
1. Formally Community Action Trust.
The Charity’s structure today combines four essential elements: The environment continually
evolves. Recently there have Estimates of the cost of
Organised criminals
“…corrupt and intimidate.
been changes in the ways crime to the UK are a They undermine the role
• A professional Bureau 1 working 24/7, 365 days a year. we communicate, how crime staggering £124 billion of the state, establishing
operates and the role of the a year.8 This figure does themselves in some of our
state in tackling it. Recorded not begin to articulate most deprived communities
• A Central Office team that provides national guidance and crime has fallen consistently the human cost to victims as alternative providers of
oversight for campaigns, communications, fundraising and for the past decade.5 Criminal and their families, not justice, security, housing
activity may have moved into just at the time but often and livelihoods. And they do
key stakeholder relationships as well as running the Charity. newer areas such as cybercrime for years afterwards. this through fear, corruption
and fraud and therefore is under and control. It corrodes our
• Regional Staff, the key enablers in ensuring local activity reported. There is an argument communities to the point
that we are all affected by where normal life in some
chimes with national priorities. organised crime, even if it feels areas comes with the awful
like a local crime.6 Criminals The following, articulated after acceptance of everyday fear
• 600 dedicated volunteers, the length and breadth of the UK, did not respect police force the publication of the Serious and intimidation.”9
boundaries in the past; now they and Organised Crime Strategy,7
who represent the communities of all 48 police forces covered. have the World Wide Web in provides a clear rationale for why
which to operate. Crimestoppers needs to exist:
Crimestoppers’ anonymous as under-reporting of feedback Our Charity plays a unique
information is now fully is a common issue. Whatever role; which complements
integrated into the operations the issue Crimestoppers helps the work of the police.
of every local police force police solve and prevent Our charitable status and
and national law enforcement crimes across the board. independence from law
agency. We demonstrate the enforcement allows us to
80% of our callers3 say our protect the people who
outcomes and impact of our
work by routinely collecting promise of anonymity is contact us.4 We use every tool
statistical feedback from these vital to them. We have to
we can, technical, process, and
partners. Over 100,000 pieces ask what would they do,
the law, to make sure we do
of actionable information where would they go, if
not collect or disclose personal
a year leads to over 6,000 Crimestoppers didn’t exist?
details of those who turn to
people arrested and charged, It is clear that ringing 999
Crimestoppers. We need to
together with 15,000 positive or 101 is not an option
be vigilant in keeping that
outcomes.2 This is the bare for this group.
promise of anonymity to the
minimum of what we achieve, highest threshold.
1. The call centre and information handling facility that processes over 5. Office for National Statistics, 2013.
1/3 of a million calls and online traffic each year (data from 2012–14). 6. Home Secretary Teresa May: Understanding And Confronting
2. Positive Outcome is defined as police action short of arrested and charged Organised Crime, delivered at the Royal United Services Institute
that helps the police to resolve an issue. (Data based on 2013/14 on Wednesday 11 June 2014.
Crimestoppers National Statistics.) 7. UK Government Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, October 2013.
3. Crimestoppers’ Caller Survey 2014. 8. Institute for Economics and Peace, April 2013.
4. This exempts us from Freedom of Information Act for instance, but we must 9. Speech given by James Brokenshire MP on 3 December 2013
be aware of proposed changes to the legal environment in which we work. on Cutting Organised and Serious Crime.
We know that people who The state cannot deal with We have always had
contact us need reassurance all crime threats alone.11 The committed volunteers, strong
that they are doing the right reduction in public funding puts support from business and the
thing. We need to do more to pressure on how resources are media. However, unlike most
build trust and confidence in our used. The expectation of good national charities, we do not have
anonymous service, especially citizenship is growing. Our own a bedrock of wider public support.
in areas where individuals are survey demonstrates that the Our income is reliant on a narrow
cowed by crime and criminal public want to do their bit.12 They base, and our skills are matched
activity.10 Our brand profile is expect us to provide access to to this. There is potential to
high, but misunderstandings better awareness and prevention diversify our income, indeed it is
undermine this essential trust. information. We should do this by essential if we are to achieve this
We must make sure that we, working with others, especially strategy, but we will need to test
and our partners, make best use in the voluntary sector, so that new approaches to learn where
of every piece of information together our impact is greater. success might lie.
we receive to demonstrate our We must avoid replicating others’
outcomes meaningfully. efforts lest we find ourselves in
unnecessary competition.
COMMUNITIES SAFER
FEWER VICTIMS
FROM CRIME
our Vision our Mission Theory of Change
We believe that individuals Crimestoppers detects, reduces How our work leads to achieving
and communities have a right and prevents crimes through this mission and vision is
to be safe from crime and the the provision of information. articulated in our Theory of
fear of crime. Each of us has We give people information Change diagram.
a responsibility to create a and tools to act against
country where there are fewer crime. Through the promise
victims of crime. of anonymity, vulnerable
individuals and communities
can stand up against crime
and criminals and the fear they
bring through intimidation and
possible retaliation.
10. Crimestoppers Survey, Populus, June 2013.
11. For example think tank Reform’s publication ‘The Expert Citizen’, July 2014,
says “A key means to reduce the burden of demand on the police is to
engage citizens in preventing crime, defending property and improving the
resilience of their communities.”
12. Crimestoppers Survey, Populus, June 2013.
Crimestoppers Trust’s
Strategic Ambitions
CRIMESTOPPERS CRIMESTOPPERS
In essence this strategy is will identify and work with With partners we will help the
about evolution. The following groups where there are the most public gain the knowledge and
outlines the way we anticipate significant barriers to carry out skills necessary to reduce the
• 24/7
working during this period. our mission,
• 24/7
be they geographic, impact of criminal activity.
• ANONYMOUS demographic
• ANONYMOUSor cultural.
• INDEPENDENT Creating communities that are • INDEPENDENT Building collaborative
• CHARITY safe from crime is what we are We must foster trust and
• CHARITY relationships is a key principle
about. To achieve that, first and confidence in our services. across all areas of the strategy.
foremost, we will continue to run We will develop new ways to Getting the boundaries right so
our anonymous hotline that all demonstrate the impact of our we add value in the preventative
can reach, with confidence that activities, finding the human and awareness arenas is of
OUR CALLERS STOP CRIME their information will be treated stories
TOGETHER, THE in our work
INFORMATION to motivate
WE OBTAIN HELPS pivotal importance, making
sensitively and passed safely,
PREVENT CRIMEboth
FROMsupporters and
ENTERING OUR those
COMMUNITIES sure that we complement
and securely, to the police. who have information to give. not duplicate other
We will reach out to the public More attention is to be given partners’ activities.
ANONYMITY ANALYSIS ANONYMITY through new online and offline to growing and engaging our
Information is ANALYSIS
at the heart of
REMOVE FEAR INSIGHT AND REMOVE FEARchannels of communication. supporter network, as advocates, INSIGHT AND
Crimestoppers.LEARNING.
We will examine
AND BARRIERS. LEARNING. AND BARRIERS. and to diversify our income.
LISTEN. LISTEN. We will concentrate on what people tell us, learn from
supporting individuals There is an increased emphasis this and use it to inform our
and communities to do on the prevention of crimes. work. We will share, when
COMMUNITIES SAFER COMMUNITIES SAFER
their bit to both solve and We will develop our authority as appropriate, what we know with
FEWER VICTIMS FEWER VICTIMS
FROM CRIME prevent crimes. Focus is key. FROMan organisation where we talk
CRIME our partners and supporters,
Engagement with ‘hard to about crime and equip the public giving people the tools they
reach’ communities13 will be to avoid becoming victims. We need to build safer communities.
vital. While Crimestoppers will will call for each of us to take
always be available for all, we responsibility against crime.
ENGAGEMENT EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT EDUCATION
FOCUS ON NEEDS TO AVOID FOCUS ON NEEDS TO AVOID
OF COMMUNITY. BECOMING VICTIMS. OF COMMUNITY. BECOMING VICTIMS.
WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE FROM CRIME
we will continue to run our anonymous service.
TOGETHER, WE ENGAGE AND EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES
TO PREVENT CRIME ENTERING OUR NEIGHBOURHOODS
GAIN PEOPLE’S TRUST WORKING WITH INFORMATION
AND CONFIDENCE PARTNERS AND ADVICE We will talk about crime and equip the public
TOGETHER WE ARE CRIMESTOPPERS to avoid becoming victims.
GAIN PEOPLE’S TRUST
AND CONFIDENCE
WORKING WITH
PARTNERS
INFORMATION
AND ADVICE
TOGETHER WE ARE CRIMESTOPPERS
13. Such ‘hard to reach’ communities are, for Crimestoppers, defined as any social, geographic, demographic or geographic group where cultural or other barriers
exist which erode their trust and confidence in dealing with authorities, including the police. These groups might be associated with criminality, they might
be disproportionately victimised, they may be apathetic, or doubt their information has value. They may operate outside of traditional UK culture or be
physically distant.There are four critical areas of focus:
Fear and cultural barriers stop people giving crime information directly to the police.
Provide a high quality, Anonymity breaks these barriers. We guarantee anonymity for the people who contact us,
through our public charitable service and commercial whistleblowing services. This remains
anonymous service our core activity, a unique national service. Building on recent work, we will demonstrate our
excellence through quality assurance marks. We will learn more about the anonymous people
for people to safely who access our service, always mindful of the personal effort they make to contact us.
give information By 2020 we will:
about crime, free • Keep high standards in the quality of the • Work with more businesses and the public
from fear of doing so. information we provide to partners. sector to provide whistleblowing services, and
support their culture of integrity. This will bring
• Have high quality standards in service operation.
us an income and advance our mission.
We will develop our staff with a focus on
consistency and customer care and work to • Set up new warm transfer agreements with
industry best practice across the whole service. voluntary sector partners to provide support
for victims should they contact us.
• Further improve our financial efficiency. We will
maintain optimum staffing led by demand and • Maintain our position as the only route to give
review suppliers regularly. We will reduce the crime information truly anonymously. We will
number of people who contact us in error so they assess risks to this, including potential legal
receive the service they are looking for first time. changes, and take action to mitigate these.
• Improve our information security management • Work with policing partners, including
systems to identify and mitigate risks so we can the College of Policing, to provide training
best protect the anonymity of those who contact and guidance for police officers and staff.
us. Our certification in information security This will help our partners make the best use
(ISO 27001) will be maintained. of Crimestoppers’ services and information and
uphold the promise of anonymity throughout
• Better understand the needs of our callers.14
the criminal justice system.
We will conduct light touch surveys so that we
can improve our services for them, ensuring • Ensure our technology responds to changes in
we reach those that need our anonymity communications. Our service will be accessible
the most. We must make sure our service through common communications methods,
is easily accessible for those with different and we will maintain our promise of anonymity
communication needs. regardless of technology used.
• Strengthen the understanding and value of our
independent anonymous service. We will look
anew at the meaning of ‘anonymity’ and how it
is understood. We will review our core marketing
and the opportunities for the public to take in
our messages.
14. ‘Callers’ includes everyone who contacts us regardless of
the communication method they choose.Work with communities15 where
barriers to engaging with Provide access to high quality
authorities exist, to build confidence information about key crime issues
in our anonymous service so they can and practical advice so people can
take action against crime. avoid becoming victims.
We will focus our ‘call to action’ where there is most need, identifying where and with whom We will respond to the public’s expectation that Crimestoppers works to prevent crime. The wider
this lies, particularly in local communities. We will work with partners and Crimestoppers’ community can be ‘crime free’ if we are all proactive citizens and take preventative action. We
volunteers to build programmes which will over time create a deeper confidence in the service must never blame victims; rather reduce the opportunities for criminals to commit crime. We will
Crimestoppers provides, where this can contribute to regeneration of communities. work with experts and share their advice, giving people, communities and companies the tools
they need to stop crimes before they happen.
By 2020 we will: • Learn from organisations already working to
regenerate communities to understand where While the majority of the public have no need for our • Focus on key crime types for a sustained period,
• Regularly use internal and external research
Crimestoppers can best enhance these efforts, anonymous service we can still support them, and building relevant networks and collaborative work
and partnerships to identify where the greatest
from call to action to prevention and social action. their families. We can use this work as a platform to to bring our services to specific needs.
barriers to giving information lie. These could
build support for and greater understanding of our
be geographic, demographic, cultural or a • Respond to specific crimes which affect these • Develop and grow our volunteer network to take
anonymous service, not to dilute it. For instance to
combination of these. communities, and the UK as a whole, using part in our education agenda, giving them tools
contact Crimestoppers is part of doing ones duty for
targeted appeals for information and the offer and skills where necessary.
• Prioritise which groups we will work with, locally safer communities.
of rewards where appropriate.
and nationally, mindful of the resources and • Build a new base of supporters interested in
By 2020 we will:
partners we have available. • Build longer term programmes with these this preventative agenda. Develop the right
community groups, based on partnerships • Develop a voice for Crimestoppers which says it opportunities for them to give time, skills or
• Use research with these groups to understand
locally, regionally and nationally.17 Extend our is important for individuals, companies and the money to help our Charity achieve our mission.
what key crime issues they struggle with, so we
volunteers and networks to achieve this. media to take responsibility to reduce crime.
can target our call to action to both solve and • Grow support from companies through corporate
reduce these crimes. • Continue our focus with young people through • Listen more to what the public are most concerned social responsibility programmes.
Fearless. Develop programmes for young adults about and plan how best we can respond to this.
• Challenge social and cultural barriers that stop • Agree partnerships with other charities where we
where due to the proliferation of criminality
engagement with the police.16 Use credible • Build partnerships with experts from law have joint ambitions.
and victimisation there is particular need for
language, role models and the most relevant enforcement, the third sector, companies,
Crimestoppers anonymity. • Explore new and emerging channels of
media channels to engage communities. academics and our volunteers to bring their
• Grow and equip volunteer Crimestoppers’ communication to engage with the public.
information and advice to a new/wider audience.
• Thank the public for contacting us. Show them
Ambassadors from organisations already • Ensure we can demonstrate our impact in this area.
that we value their information and that it has
working with those most closely linked to
made a difference.
crime.18 This allows us to lever off third parties
to use their existing relationships with clients
to build confidence and trust in Crimestoppers’
anonymous service. 15. Such ‘hard to reach’ communities are, for Crimestoppers, defined as any 16. For example, the ingrained attitudes against ‘snitching’ or ‘being a grass’.
social, geographic, demographic or geographic group where cultural or 17. Our work in Leicestershire and Birmingham in 2013 is pilots for this
other barriers exist which erode their trust and confidence in dealing with type of engagement.
authorities, including the police. These groups might be associated with
18. For instance probation, drugs, and victims services.
criminality, they might be disproportionately victimised, they may be
apathetic, or doubt their information has value. They may operate outside
of traditional UK culture or be physically distant.What we need
Make better use of Crimestoppers’
anonymous information,
to do internally
understanding what more it can We will only be able to achieve our strategic ambitions if we
tell us to both inform our work can make more of ourselves. We have strong foundations:
and benefit our partners. • Knowledge that our core service makes a difference.
• Visibility of our brand and service.
• Enthusiastic and dedicated staff and volunteers.
We will dedicate resources to analysis within Crimestoppers to develop packages of information
which will bring additional insight, and value, to the UK’s crime intelligence picture. This will also
• Financial support from public and private sectors.
allow us to better demonstrate the value of anonymous information.
• Strong partnerships with media, voluntary and statutory sectors.
By 2020 we will: • Look for relationships with • Articulate the impact of
Universities to further enrich our work in a variety of • Well managed and efficient support teams.
• Develop skills in analysis ways to encourage individuals
our information.
to get best value from to use Crimestoppers’
our information. • Scope and develop a However these are also the key areas which we need to
services with confidence develop internally to allow us to achieve our ambitions.
customer base for
• Ensure our technology and generate support. They are interconnected and everyone in our Charity needs
analysis products.
allows efficient analysis • Use this analysis, and other to be engaged in our success.
and presentation including • Work with all our partners
research, to inform the focus
detailed local information. who receive Crimestoppers
of our work, respond to the
information to maximise
• Work with partners to bring needs of individuals and
feedback on the outcomes
together their information communities to assist our
achieved with this
with ours to assist in the decision-making.
information. We will explore
development of ‘intelligence
with them new systems and
packages’ or products.
process to make the best use
of resources available.Income Culture
Generation The strategy provides the opportunity to
refresh and re-engage our whole organisation
Effective fundraising will be vital to achieving behind our single vision. The four ambitions
our strategy. The austere financial climate, were produced from the ideas of our staff,
particularly in the public sector, means that volunteers and stakeholders, who have also
maintaining our funding base is a challenge. helped test and shape how we intend to
Growing it will be more so. We have relied on achieve them. The strategy provides focus for
the same narrow income model for some ten our activity, but it does not stop here. Our staff
years and diversification will be necessary. and volunteers are our strongest supporters
Our approach will be incremental; we will and are key to our reputation.
have to test new opportunities to see
what works. We will:
We will: • Change the way we talk about how
Crimestoppers makes a difference. We will focus
• Challenge the preconceptions we have about on the people who give information and those
the attractiveness of Crimestoppers to funders. who suffer from the effects of crime. We will
These can undermine our confidence. We will review our brand and core values.
replace outmoded views and reinforce
the positive. • Have an opinion on and talk about select issues
that are important to us and our supporters.
• Review the relationships we have across the We will remain apolitical. However, we hold
Charity and make sure we develop these all the view that crime harms individuals and
to the same high standards, supported by the society and the public own much of the solution.
Business Development Team. Working well with
and looking after our partners will make these • We will provide more opportunities to listen to
relationships more productive. what is important to our staff, volunteers and the
people who use our service reflecting this where
• Make sure that income generation becomes a possible in our plans. Our planning process will
whole organisation activity. We will build teams be more open.
from across the organisation to explore and
generate new initiatives.
People
• Learn more from what we do well and what
does not work. We will look at best practice Our staff and volunteers are passionate and • Support our staff and volunteers to fulfil the
• Ask for more voluntary and corporate social from others, e.g. ‘What Works Centre for proud to work with Crimestoppers. This energy values of the Charity.
responsibility income as a potentially untapped Crime Reduction’, College of Policing. helps us seem like a much larger organisation
source of support. We will need the skills, tools We will use this to help us improve from the outside; we pack a punch above our • Find new volunteering opportunities, alongside
and resources to do this properly. We will need our work, informing decisions. weight. Our people often go the extra mile, our existing volunteer structure, to bring a
compelling ‘cases for support’. so we need to invest in them to retain their variety of skills and capacity to our work.
commitment. We trust them to be the public We will engage more individuals and
face of our Charity; they need the right organisations as Ambassadors for our service.
tools and support, recognition, thanks
and leadership. • Give more attention to our supporters. We will
better recognise the contributions of individuals,
We will: great and small. Our management team will
attend volunteer meetings more regularly.
we pack a punch above our weight. Our people • Develop our staff to ensure they are engaged
and equipped to produce results. • Use better the specific skills held by staff and
often go the extra mile, so we need to invest in volunteers which may not be used in their
them to retain their commitment. • Listen to what our staff and volunteers have to particular role. This could help meet capacity
say to help us engage, develop and retain them. issues and enable us to benefit from this
experience from within.Infrastructure Measuring
Our organisation and facilities have been success
invested in over recent years, from the
management structure to IT capability. Showing that our work has made a difference
There are specific resources we will need is vital, to our supporters, funders and
to achieve the strategy. Firstly we will plan perhaps most importantly to the people
our activity under the strategic ambitions, who despite their personal circumstances
building teams from across internal contacted us anonymously. Using our theory
departments where appropriate. of change as a guide we will develop
a measurement framework.
We will need tools and skills to:
We will:
• Analyse the anonymous information reports
we hold, so it is accessible to those who can • Prioritise activity and understand that initial
draw insight from it. outcomes in each area will be a foundation for
the next step. This will not always be easy as
• Develop our relationships with partners, our goals are in many ways interdependent.
customers and donors, allowing us to tailor
communications to mutual benefit. • Plan each year the outcomes needed in each
step towards our goals. These outcomes will
• Enhance our reputation through proactive inform what we need to do and what we need
internal communications; to learn from each to measure to show we have achieved them.
other and build a joint sense of purpose
behind our vision. • Show our impact in the quality of our
information, be it to solve or prevent crimes.
• Use our strategy to guide the decisions All our partners who receive information will
we make. Its focus will allow us to quickly provide details on the outcomes they achieve
respond to opportunities which support from Crimestoppers.
Partnerships our ambitions.
• Focus on the outcomes we achieve, not the
We have always relied on partnerships. The original concept of • Continue to review and improve our risk activity. We will develop qualitative as well as
Crimestoppers brought together police, business and the media, management and processes. We will have quantitative measures that reflect the breadth
which is visible still in our work today. However, we cannot, nor appropriate and consistent levels of procedure of our outcomes.
should not, work on our mission alone. Partnerships are woven into and control to support business continuity.
each of our ambitions; some are already established while new • Run regular surveys in communities where
ones will be needed if we are to succeed. Our partnerships will be • Build on recent work to plan and evaluate we work to look at changes in attitudes and
led by shared goals, where cooperation with others allows us to our initiatives robustly, to learn and improve, behaviours. Trust and/or confidence in our
reach these goals more effectively than apart. focusing on identifying and achieving anonymous service will be key.
outcomes and impact.
We will: • Use the information held by our partners as
additional evidence of our impact; a reduction
• Be proactive in our relationships with partners, defining joint in crimes committed for instance.
goals and the roles of each party. We will know how each
partnership helps us achieve our vision and strategy.
• Equip our partners with knowledge of our anonymous service
so they can talk about how useful it is to their networks, Partnerships are woven into each of our ambitions;
clients or customers. This should build trust in our service.
some are already established while new ones will be
• Recognise the expertise of our partners and share this to benefit the needed if we are to succeed.
public who look to us to be a trusted source of information about crime.Contact information Crimestoppers Central Office 020 8835 3700 Staff in Operations, Communications, Fundraising, Youth, Finance and Administration are available during office hours. PO Box 324 Wallington SM6 6BG Websites www.crimestoppers-uk.org www.fearless.org Crimestoppers Trust is a company limited by guarantee (registered number 05382856) and a charity (registered charity number 1108687 in England and SCO37960 in Scotland). Registered Office is at 2-6 Cannon Street, London EC4M 6YH.
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