Conservative PCC Supports New Young People’s Crime Fighting Scheme

Staffordshire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis is backing a new scheme which urges young people to do the right thing, set for launch in the autumn.

The scheme, part of Crimestoppers’ ‘Fearless’ campaign, will give non-judgemental advice and information to young people in schools to help them make the right decisions in difficult circumstances.

Mr Ellis met with regional Crimestoppers’ representatives to discuss the plans this week.

He said, “Tackling the root causes of crime by intervening early is a central part of my new Safer, Fairer, United Communities strategy.  Positively engaging young people is key to this – as we’ve already seen through the launch of the young Police Cadets initiative which I’ve instigated in Staffordshire.

“This Crimestoppers’ scheme will better equip youngsters to make the right choices and make it easier for them to report crime anonymously.  This follows a call to action issued to all Staffordshire people earlier this year when I decided, for the first time, to include direct promotion of Crimestoppers in all 500,000 council tax bills.

“Using the population’s eyes and ears is immensely powerful and could see Staffordshire become as close to a no-go zone for crooks and criminality as is possible. It’s about galvanising community pressure and knowledge and making criminality an unwanted and antisocial thing to do. Crimestoppers provides anonymity so people can do their duty for Staffordshire in the fight against crime.”

Crimestoppers is the only charity that guarantees complete and total anonymity for anyone who contacts them with information about crime or criminals. And usually there’s a cash reward which can be claimed secretly by the person providing information.

More information on the Fearless campaign – which urges young people to be “fearless against crime” – can be seen at www.fearless.org.