Stopping crime around the world - forging international alliances

Did you know that our charity has a partnership with Crime Stoppers International (CSI)?

Below is an article in the latest edition of our Connections magazine by Hayley van Loon, Deputy CEO of CSI. She shares her thoughts after a recent trip to our Crimestoppers UK headquarters.

Hayley van Loon
CSI is recognised globally as the most trusted, independent link between citizens wanting to anonymously share information about criminal activity and the appropriate international law enforcement authorities. CSI is the non-profit umbrella organisation for an extensive global network of accredited national and local Crime Stoppers programmes operating across Canada, the USA, Latin and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and growing programmes in Asia. 

Different but united 

In the autumn of 2023, representatives from Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the small island of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean visited Crimestoppers’ London headquarters and national Contact Centre. This visit provided an opportunity to observe UK practices and exchange ideas on sustaining anonymous crime reporting. The following day saw CSI’s Annual General Meeting, during which Mick Duthie, Director of Operations at Crimestoppers UK, was elected as Vice President of the CSI board. 
 
In December, I also had the privilege of meeting with the UK Crimestoppers team and witnessing the operations of the national Contact Centre. I was impressed by the team’s high level of professionalism, courtesy and dedication. Crimestoppers UK holds charitable status and, like numerous Crime Stoppers programmes worldwide, functions independently from the police. The organisation’s autonomy from law enforcement remains a crucial and distinctive feature of Crime Stoppers programmes, offering individuals an anonymous platform to come forward, fostering reports that might otherwise go undisclosed.
 
CSI tip line 

A recent partnership between Crimestoppers UK and CSI has led to the handling of CSI tips by the capable UK-based Contact Centre. Individuals desiring to report crimes anonymously on the CSI website can now submit their information globally through an online form, which is then assessed by the Crimestoppers UK Contact Centre and subsequently passed to the relevant jurisdiction. At its core, the fight against crime and the pursuit of safer communities and nations necessitates a collective endeavour. Global cooperation brings about benefits both at home and abroad. We express our gratitude to crucial partners like Crimestoppers UK and are thoroughly impressed by their operational excellence. We look forward to a lasting and collaborative relationship.

Read the latest Connections magazine. 

14 November 2024