A decade of progress

As Chief Executive Mark Hallas reaches a decade at the charity, he reflects on the journey and the encouraging progress made…

I can’t quite believe that 10 years have passed since I took the helm at Crimestoppers, the UK’s only charity for people to stay anonymous whilst speaking up about crime. 

There’s so much the fantastic team has delivered over the years that it’s hard to single out what’s been most important. Here are some of the things that we’ve achieved together this past decade that I’m most proud of: 

First, we’ve doubled the number of reports we send to police and wider law enforcement; up from 100,000 to over 200,000 annually. It’s quality information being given by over 600 people each and every day that we pass on to police – excluding information shared with other partners. 

We listen to everyone who contacts us. They all make a difference by giving us anonymous tip-offs that ultimately prevents or solves crime.  

Rising trust in our charity

It’s clear that more people trust us than ever before. From a humble start, we now cover the whole UK and support people, communities, companies and those in the public sector, helping them to speak up. Together, we all keep our communities, workplaces and the people we care about safe from the harm caused by crime. 

We’ve also made huge strides in the way we address previously neglected hidden harms. Reports in this critical area have increased fourfold as we have campaigned effectively on domestic abuse, violence against women and girls, child sexual exploitation and modern slavery. 

Focusing on the vulnerable

Over the last few years, we’ve had a particular focus on supporting the most vulnerable in our society. Whilst we are here for everybody, we are especially here for the most disenfranchised who really need us. 

We have ensured our approach and work are relevant for the most at risk in our society. Criminals are the first to exploit people with vulnerabilities – from communities to individuals. This includes young people, who are taken advantage of by criminal gangs. Our Fearless (youth) service is purely focused on supporting young people by giving them non-judgemental advice about crime affecting them. We show they have options when they know about crime. 

Proven partnerships

We can’t do it alone and that’s why our efforts with trusted partners are so important. 

Working with businesses from private to public sector, councils, well-known stores both high street and online, housing associations, and other charities ensures that our message of hope reaches far and wide. 

Protecting whistleblowers 

Making whistleblowing mainstream has been a key tenet of our vision for the future. This is done by challenging those who benefit from silencing legitimate complaints or covering up wrongdoing. 

By working with well-known and respected organisations, it means that more and more people know they have a safe, secure and anonymous route to challenge inappropriate and plain wrong behaviour. 

Thank you – your support counts

That’s just a whistle-stop tour around some of the things that the team has achieved over these last 10 years. 

We have been delivering for our beneficiaries for over 35 years now. 

I’m not complacent. Whilst we are here for everyone, we will continue to focus our help on the most vulnerable. 

There is so much more to be done to encourage the public to come forward speak up when they know something about crime but are unwilling to contact the police. 

The message is clear: everyone has a choice and we can all play our part - because by speaking up anonymously, we are keeping people, communities, and workplaces safe.