With society returning to something closer to normal, the charity Crimestoppers has launched an urgent appeal for information on those people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight who are carrying weapons.
Last November, Crimestoppers ran its first-ever Silence Won’t Stop Violence campaign which saw the public respond positively and anonymously. Information on gangs rose by 17%, County Lines up by 15%, cuckooing up by two-thirds and information on firearms rose by 5% compared to the period prior to the appeal.
Whilst official statistics reveal knife crime has now fallen for 4 quarters in a row, we should not become complacent. Last year 275 people lost their life to a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales and 4,620 people were admitted to hospitals in England for attacks by sharp objects.
In 2019, over half of violent incidents across the UK were not reported to the police. Crimestoppers believes that Silence Won’t Stop Violence and is informing the public in Hampshire that everyone has the means and a voice to anonymously speak up to help stop or solve violent crime.
Emily van der Lely, Regional Manager for Hampshire at the charity Crimestoppers, said:
“With violence and gang crime being a persistent, but preventable problem, our charity is relaunching our campaign and supporting a public health approach to tackling violence. This means recognising it requires a society-wide response, so we are encouraging people in Hampshire – who are in the know about those carrying weapons or involved in violent crime – to not be silenced, but to speak up anonymously.
“We know that you may be personally close to crime but may also want to do the right thing and bring violence in your community to an end. No matter how far down the wrong road you’ve gone – you can ALWAYS turn back. You do have options. You have the ability to prevent violent crime through telling us what you know in advance of planned violent attacks, or passing on information that can help solve crime and bring justice to victims and their families.
“Our aim is to drive people to report what they know about violent crime incidents or planned attacks using our unique anonymous reporting service, via Crimestoppers-uk.org, by calling freephone 0800 555 111, or for young people to use Fearless.org. Together, we can help reduce the harm caused to young lives and communities across the country.”
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To report what you know about crime 100% anonymously, visit the charity’s website Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in a simple and secure anonymous online form or call their 24/7 UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111, 365 days of the year. In an emergency, always call 999.
As we saw at the very last Bestival held here, crime shot up. Anyone attending over the years who didn’t wear heavy shades knew why, and for the same reason, the Festival this year was low in serious crime.
Those in high places to the most foolish KNOW why, yet all are unable to say why, so we all have to pretend, and ‘big up’ the small minority who don’t fall under the obvious, to ‘show’ to the world that yes, we too ‘can’ be involved in such actions, yet never saying how rare it is ‘compared’.
Think and address the issues of the holders of the weapon, not the blade
Lol, wtf are you on about, talking in riddles. I could not go to the last bestival as I had the kids, so I took them to the next best thing, blackgang.
I hear you brother…..x
TTT, George Orwell’s Animal Farm had hidden depths, as you know and as you are, you have to be a little wise to ‘get it’.
Shame people can’t even speak the truth now as nothing ever gets resolved by stiffling such. Yo!
It’s a sad fact that freedom of speech is now gone in this country and yet it still regards itself as a “free” country and as it’s classed as a given fact people go on believing the lie.
The photo of the knife which accompanies this article shows a non locking folding pocket knife with a cutting edge of less than 3”. This type of knife is perfectly legal to own and carry in public (as set out in s139 Criminal Justice Act 1988) and is not the sort of knife used for knife crime. If you try to stab someone with a non-locking penknife it will shut on your hand and injure you. This is bad journalism as it implies something is illegal which is not and may encourage ignorant members of the public to report people who are not breaking the law.