Crimestoppers

HC Deb 09 May 2000 vol 349 cc815-22

Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]

12.28 am

Mr. Bob Russell (Colchester)

While sensible, law-abiding citizens—but not politicians and criminals—are safely tucked up in bed, it is reassuring to know that Crimestoppers is available around the clock in the constant fight to tackle crime.

The title of this debate, as listed on the Order Paper, needs clarifying. It would be more accurate if it read that Government support was needed for Crimestoppers. Astonishingly, Crimestoppers does not receive any financial support from the Government. It is a charity, funded in the main by donations and fund-raising events. Yet its success rate in bringing criminals to justice is such that, if it received supplementary financial backing, even more would be arrested.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Charles Clarke)

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is unfortunate that the Conservative Front Bench is vacant during this important debate—

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst)

Order. It is not in order for the Minister to make such an observation. Adjournment debates are the personal property of the hon. Member who is putting forward a subject. These are not general debates involving all Members of the House; they are between the hon. Member moving the motion and the Minister replying.

Mr. Russell

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Crimestoppers Trust, with its national phone number of 0800 555 111, operating 24 hours a day, is the catalyst acting between business, the media, the community and the police to help to reduce crime, and it is doing just that.

Crimestoppers is now in its 12th year and covers the whole country, through 29 regions. Crimestoppers solves crimes that other methods cannot reach. It provides a safe and confidential means of identifying criminals. Intelligence and observation from members of the public, made anonymously, can lead to the apprehension of criminals who might otherwise escape detection. It means that people can report criminal activity without any fear for their own safety.

The statistics behind the Crimestoppers success story are amazing. In a reply to a parliamentary question that I tabled recently, I was told that, last year, as a direct result of people phoning Crimestoppers, a record 5,300 people were arrested and charged. The Crimestoppers organisation tells me that, in a large number of cases, the police had no previous knowledge of the criminal, or, if the person was known, he had not been connected with the crime reported by the caller.

Last year, calls to Crimestoppers led to the conviction of 38 people for murder, 22 for attempted murder, 13 for rape and 18 for sexual assault. Convictions for robbery totalled 202, for assault 181, for burglary 338, for firearms 28, for handling stolen goods 209, for arson 34, for theft 410, for vehicle crime 667, for fraud 141 and for various other offences 691.

The biggest single category was drugs, with 2,308 convictions. That is a matter to which Crimestoppers has given special attention with its SNAP—"Say no and phone"—campaign. The same number is involved: 0800 555 111. People are encouraged to phone with information about drug dealers. In one case, the Crimestoppers guarantee of anonymity led to the seizure of cocaine worth more than £200,000.

Since Crimestoppers was established, about 34,000 people have been arrested and charged with various crimes, ranging from murder and other serious assaults to drug dealing and theft. More than 300,000 anonymous calls have been made and property worth more than £42 million has been recovered. On average, each week, stolen property worth almost £60,000 is retrieved. In one case, a call to Devon and Cornwall Crimestoppers led to the arrest of three people responsible for several burglaries and to the recovery of 44 firearms.

Following the murder of a man in a midlands pub, one call to Crimestoppers named the two culprits. In the west country, a man was charged with five offences of indecent assault and gross indecency against young children after a call to Crimestoppers gave the only lead. Drug dealing from a Birmingham house was brought to the notice of the police thanks to a call to Crimestoppers. Those examples—and many more—prove the value of Crimestoppers and illustrate how much more could be achieved.

Tackling car theft is another area in which calls to Crimestoppers can lead to criminals being arrested. Vehicles with a combined value in excess of £1 million have been recovered thanks to tip-offs associated with the SMART—stop motor crime and ring today—campaign. Again, the same national freephone number is used: 0800 555 111. In the north of England, one call led to a person who admitted more than 500 offences of stealing cars.

Smuggling of tobacco and alcohol is a growth industry, with millions of pounds of revenue lost every year. The Tobacco Alliance, which represents many of the UK's 26,000 independent retailers of tobacco—mainly corner shops and newsagents—estimates that as much as 80 per cent. of the roll-your-own tobacco consumed in this country has been smuggled. For cigarettes, the figure is put at 25 per cent. and rising every year. As well as threatening small businesses, the illegal trade leads to under-age sales. The same thing happens with smuggled alcohol.

The alliance recommends Crimestoppers as the most effective way of reporting tobacco-related crime. Crimestoppers works in partnership with Customs and Excise in tackling the bootleggers, and its work has resulted in significant recoveries of smuggled tobacco and alcohol. The lost revenue is huge. Investment in Crimestoppers would more than pay for itself with the increase in the number of criminals who would be identified. For example, one tip-off led to five people being arrested. It was estimated that they had evaded some £750,000 in duty. Given the obvious benefits that Crimestoppers has proved it has in bringing the identity of criminals to the police, would not its success be greatly enhanced—with even more criminals being arrested—if the Government provided funds to extend the operation, including greater publicity, which is so vital?

Mr. Tony Colman (Putney)

Obviously I am pleased with the hon. Gentleman's paeon of praise for Crimestoppers, which is based in my constituency. Will he join me in the hope that, when the Minister visits Crimestoppers on 22 May, he will see for himself its excellent work and consider providing further funding?

Mr. Russell

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. I am sure that the Minister will be well briefed when he visits the hon. Gentleman's constituency and that Crimestoppers will benefit as a result of that visit.

Backing from the media is crucial to publicising Crimestoppers. Newspapers, radio and television are to be congratulated and thanked for what they do. For example, tonight's issue of the Colchester-based Evening Gazette carries a report of a man who was shot in the face with an air gun. The final paragraph says: Detectives hunting the gunman have appealed for anyone with information to contact them on Crimestoppers 0800 555 111. Much more needs to be done to publicise Crimestoppers so that its number becomes as familiar as 999. Advertisement hoardings and more permanent poster displays should feature the number. It could also be included, at minimal cost, in Government publications and other public literature, and on the vast range of forms that people are required to fill in during the course of the year. An excellent example was set by Post Office Counters when it launched a campaign to tell the 28 million people who visit post offices each week about Crimestoppers. That is another reason for retaining the nationwide network of post offices.

Despite what has been achieved so far, research has shown that only a quarter of the population understand Crimestoppers. It is hoped that this will be improved by, for example, developing strategies within crime and disorder partnerships.

Using Crimestoppers is an easy way of talking to the police informally and anonymously. Every day, hundreds of people call Crimestoppers to help the police solve many crimes, not just the most serious ones. It is highly successful and proves that it is possible to do something to make society safer.

A person who phones Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111—from anywhere in the country—will not be asked for their name, address or phone number. The police will not seek to contact the person who has phoned. If people say that they want to phone again, or perhaps claim a reward, they are given a code number.

The director of Crimestoppers, Mr. Digby Carter, told me about a survey in Stockport, Greater Manchester, which revealed that the fear of intimation was so severe that 83 per cent. of residents said that it would prevent them from providing information directly to the police. However, the same survey reported that 76 per cent. said that they would use Crimestoppers.

Research has shown how important Crimestoppers information is in preventing crime as well as solving it. Indeed, research by the Vauxhall centre for the study of crime at the university of Luton shows that more than 40 per cent. of crimes revealed would not even have come to the notice of the police but for Crimestoppers. In nearly two-thirds of cases, offenders disclosed by Crimestoppers callers were previously unknown to the police—or known, but not suspected of the offence in question.

The Luton survey concluded that information provided anonymously by the public to Crimestoppers solves crimes at a rate likely to be the envy of police officers in general. In 63 per cent. of the cases the information provided to the police by Crimestoppers was crucial to the crime's detection, and in a further 27 per cent. it was useful.

Senior development fellow Mr. Alan Marlow, who conducted the research, commented: Our research shows that Crimestoppers is highly productive. For example, each individual in one of the Crimestoppers Offices was responsible during the year for the apprehension of over 100 offenders not suspected of the offences in question. On behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bill Griffiths of the Metropolitan police said of the survey: Crimestoppers, with its guarantee of anonymity, and therefore safety from reprisals, does add real value to the work of the Police. The Police are clearly right to make a commitment to Crimestoppers. It is a best value operation, and we want to see its use increased still further. Let me stress again that Crimestoppers is a charity. It has limited resources. The staff to volunteer ratio is 1:20. Each Crimestoppers arrest costs the trust £200, and there are 14 of those every day. Real support from the Government—not just warm words—is necessary if the Crimestoppers success story is to continue to develop.

A reward, paid anonymously, and without police involvement, is available to those who provide information that leads to an arrest and charge, but very few people ask for one. Last year, rewards represented only 2 per cent. of Crimestoppers' expenditure. Only six in every 100 callers who would qualify for a reward from the Crimestoppers Trust seek it.

Crimestoppers is not only of considerable value to the police in solving crime, it is also highly cost-effective so far as the taxpayer is concerned. The need for Crimestoppers has never been greater. Spending cuts in the police service and a reduction in the number of police officers mean that every effort must be made by the community to help in the fight against crime. Crimestoppers is already playing an active role in doing this.

For a relatively modest contribution to supplement the work of Crimestoppers, I urge the Government to meet with officials of the Crimestoppers Trust to see what level of aid is required. I gather that such a meeting is to take place soon. Last year, it cost £1,648,000 to operate Crimestoppers—the equivalent of the salaries of four premier division footballers. A pound for pound matching grant would more than pay for itself in the increase in the number of criminals brought to justice and the effect that it would have on preventing crime.

I hope that this early morning debate will make more people aware of the excellent work that Crimestoppers does. For those who need reminding, the number is freephone 0800 555 111.

12.42 am

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Charles Clarke)

I must first apologise for my earlier remarks, which I acknowledge were out of order.

I am very grateful to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Russell) for obtaining this important debate on Government support for Crimestoppers. As he will acknowledge, many Members of the House are engaged with Crimestoppers campaigns in their areas—indeed, I have been involved in launching various initiatives in my area. I am delighted that the hon. Gentleman has brought this matter to the attention of the House.

It is important to emphasise the statistics involved. According to information supplied by the Crimestoppers Trust, the number of people arrested and charged for each of the past five years as a result of information supplied to Crimestoppers was as follows: in 1995, 3,355 people were arrested and charged; in 1996, 4,347 people were arrested and charged; in 1997, 4,726 people were arrested and charged; in 1998, 5,169 people were arrested and charged; and in 1999, the figure was 5,300.

The 5,300 arrests in 1999 were for very serious crimes, as the hon. Gentleman implied. Some 38 were for murder, 22 for attempted murder, 13 for rape, 202 for robbery, 181 for assault, 338 for burglary, 28 for firearms offences, 209 for handling stolen goods, 2,308 for drugs—a point that the hon. Gentleman made—34 for arson, 410 for theft, 667 for vehicle crime, 18 for sexual assault, 141 for fraud and 691 for other crimes. The hon. Gentleman has drawn attention to that substantial record of achievement in sponsoring this debate, for which I am grateful.

As the hon. Gentleman said, my officials are in regular and constant touch with Crimestoppers. I will be visiting the Crimestoppers Trust head office in Putney on 22 May. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the work done by my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Colman) in dialogue with myself and others and, more widely, in promoting the work of Crimestoppers, which is very important.

The hon. Member for Colchester referred to several Crimestoppers campaigns—I shall focus on two of them. The first is the SMART campaign—"Stop motor crime and ring today". With that campaign, Crimestoppers has made a valuable contribution to the fight against vehicle crime—an activity that accounts for 20 per cent. of all recorded crime and costs us at least £3 billion a year. It is encouraging to see from statistics produced by Crimestoppers that, in 1999, the campaign resulted in 667 people being arrested and charged with vehicle crime offences—a 30 per cent. increase on the previous year. I welcome the success of that campaign.

The SNAP—"Say no and phone"—and "Rat on a Rat" campaigns to which the hon. Gentleman also referred are an important element of the work of Crimestoppers. The Government are also committed to a reduction in the misuse of illicit drugs and in associated crime. Two of the main aims of our anti-drugs strategy—"Tackling drugs to build a better Britain"—are to protect our communities from drug-related anti-social and criminal behaviour and to enable people with drug problems to overcome them and to live happy and crime-free lives.

The police give a high priority to tackling drug-related crime and to reducing street dealing. They recognise the added value of involving other partners, such as Crimestoppers, in tackling those aspects of crime.

The SNAP campaign urges people to inform Crimestoppers anonymously if they know of anyone who regularly supplies drugs or commits any drug-related crime. It success is greatly encouraging—I gave some of the statistics earlier.

Another excellent example of the collaborative approach was the Metropolitan police's Operation Crackdown. That was co-ordinated with Crimestoppers and included an advertising campaign urging the public to "Rat on a Rat" by calling Crimestoppers. The organisation received more than 2,000 calls—300 pieces of intelligence were generated.

The success of "Rat on a Rat" demonstrated not only that the public want action against drugs, but the benefits to be reaped from involving Crimestoppers in police operations targeting such criminal activity. It highlights partnership at its best.

There is scope for the forging of closer links between Crimestoppers and other voluntary sector organisations working towards crime reduction—such as the National Neighbourhood Watch Association, Crime Concern, Victim Support and the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders. I should like such links to be developed further.

On 13 April, I chaired a meeting to which I invited representatives from those organisations and Crimestoppers to discuss the possibility of their working more closely, with Government support, to develop a clearer strategic approach, with the overall objective of helping to reduce crime and disorder. We felt that the ambition of crime and disorder partnerships should be to nurture those organisations in local communities. There were instances of them working together on an ad hoc basis, but we believe that there is significant potential to increase such links.

The active community element reflected in the different orientations of those organisations brings together people who could be more effectively associated in the campaign to strengthen their communities against the criminals in their midst. That would be positive for all of us. We are working hard on that matter, although there is no intention to deprioritise the contribution of Crimestoppers or of any of the other organisations. When they all work together, the sum of their parts is greater than the whole.

In that context, the National Neighbourhood Watch Association is organising a seminar on 7 July. We hope that representatives from that wide range of organisations will be able to consider ways of creating the closer links to which I have referred so as to reduce crime and disorder. We hope to produce papers setting a framework for achieving that closer co-operation, nationally and locally, for consideration at the conference.

Mr. Russell

Will the Minister say how many of the other organisations that he mentioned receive Government financial support?

Mr. Clarke

I shall come to that well-made point shortly.

Although voluntary sector organisations generally support the idea of more strategic link-up and although some have expressed concern that they might not have sufficient resources to reach out to other organisations, a significant role can be played by considering in a co-ordinated fashion what national support we offer them. I do not have the figures for which the hon. Gentleman asked, but the Government directly support the other organisations, such as NACRO, neighbourhood watch, Victim Support and Crime Concern, that I mentioned.

We set up the seminar on 13 April because we believe that we should think much more coherently about the support that we give to all the organisations that work to develop an active community. Perhaps I should confess to the hon. Gentleman that I was tempted to announce a grant to Crimestoppers tonight, because I acknowledge that there is a strong case for giving it financial support. I am not announcing that grant in response to this debate not because we have any questions about Crimestoppers, which we value and esteem, but because we want to ensure that we have a coherent approach for all the organisations, so that they work together on the framework.

I can reassure the hon. Gentleman and my hon. Friend the Member for Putney that we are committed to supporting Crimestoppers financially in the same way that we are committed to supporting the other organisations. However, we are keen to ensure that the Home Office does not provide a bit of money here or a bit of money there to the range of different organisations. With them, the Home Office should consider properly how to provide support so that we can maximise its impact.

We are not imposing a policy on the organisations. Neighbourhood watch, NACRO, Crime Concern, Victim Support and Crimestoppers, with which I have had a constructive dialogue, all recognised at the seminar on 13 April that they, as well as the general crime reduction initiative, will benefit if we can co-ordinate our efforts. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept that, although I am not being gracious enough to offer Crimestoppers X amount of money as a result of this debate, I acknowledge the major contribution that it and the other organisations can make. We shall provide funding in that context.

I mentioned the seminar that will take place in July. At that seminar, I hope that we shall reach conclusions about precisely what form of support should be offered and how it should be provided. Although support from headquarters is important, we should try to ensure—by using the web and electronic and other means—that organisations throughout the country make a greater impact by working together in the communities where that is most important.

I can say particularly bluntly at this time of night that some of the organisations compete for members and in their activities and commitments. None of them want to do that—that is not their ambition—because they want to work together. The Government have a catalytic role to play that they have not played in the past. That is why we held a seminar on 13 April and will hold a conference on 7 July. I hope that, through those meetings, we will be able to construct a coherent approach to all these issues.

At the meeting on 13 April, it was decided that there should be two further meeting with officials and representatives—on 12 May and 12 June—to draw up papers commissioned for the seminar on 7 July. Contributions will address several subjects. The first is how best to achieve close co-operation between the relevant organisations at national and local level and the second is consideration of the forms of support, including training, that the organisations need. As we involve volunteers so much, training is important.

The third subject is what business involvement is most useful. Several business organisations contribute, in different ways, to Crimestoppers and other bodies, and are often unaware of how best to focus their energy. We can help in that regard. The fourth issue is what are the best sources of information and how that information should be disseminated, hence the points that I made about the web. The fifth serious matter is the Home Office funding arrangements, which the hon. Gentleman raised and which others have mentioned.

The Home Office intends to provide papers, on the basis of information received, to set out a framework for a much more co-ordinated approach by voluntary sector organisations. Those papers will be considered at the conference on 7 July. I know that the hon. Gentleman's comments will be given full consideration at that event.

I know that the hon. Gentleman, like my hon. Friend the Member for Putney and myself, is a strong, committed supporter of Crimestoppers, but he knows that organisations such as neighbourhood watch, Victim Support and Crime Concern can make a major contribution. He will agree that everything that we can do to get such organisations working together is positive, and I know that he will encourage such co-operation.

As I said, I was tempted to make an announcement about the funding that we will provide for Crimestoppers, but I did not do so because we have been considering carefully the request for financial support from the director of the Crimestoppers trust. We have considered the application in the context of how we can best deploy our resources to reduce crime. We hope shortly to make a decision in the wider context of drawing up the strategic framework.

Crimestoppers can be confident that because it has a long track record, to which I have already referred, it will be well funded, but I shall not give the hon. Member for Colchester the gratification, if that is the right word, of saying that I will give him X amount of cash this evening. I know that he will join me in urging Crimestoppers to work with other organisations concerned with building an active community.

My request for the hon. Gentleman's support is gratuitous because Crimestoppers itself is entirely committed to that end. Developing an active community is very important to us, and I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for securing this Adjournment debate and airing some of the issues. I am especially grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Putney for his consistent campaigning with me and others on behalf of Crimestoppers. I hope that I have set out the Government's approach on these important matters.

Question put and agreed to.

Adjourned accordingly at two minutes to One o'clock.