Richmond partners with Crimestoppers to keep young people safe

Our Community Safety Partnership has partnered with Fearless to launch a six-week awareness campaign around the crimes that commonly affect young people and to challenge the misperceptions around ‘snitching’.

We are working to support young people to speak up about crime whilst staying completely anonymous.

Fearless, the dedicated youth service of the charity Crimestoppers, gives non-judgemental advice and provides a way for young people who are worried about talking to the police to share information without saying who they are. The charity passes information on anonymously and ensures that young people are not contacted by the authorities after coming forward.

Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council said: ‘Keeping people safe across the borough is our number one priority which is why this initiative is so important in ensuring young people feel secure in our communities. No one should ever feel unable or afraid to share their concerns as we all have a responsibility to prevent crime from happening. Educating young people on how harmful crime can be is also key to tackling the problem which is why I’m so pleased to be working with Fearless to establish a way for young people speak up confidentially and confidently.’

The campaign is supported by a digital advertising campaign that focuses on the stories of two young people who are concerned about crime but do not want to be considered a ‘snitch’ by the peers for speaking up. It aims to encourage young people in the borough to speak up and be active bystanders so that they can safely give information about crimes that disproportionately affect them, including violence and robbery.

Fearless provides young people the opportunity to stay completely anonymous when speaking up about crime. To support this, the initiative also includes educational workshops to equip professionals and partners with the tools to talk about giving information anonymously when working with young people in the borough.

This partnership with Fearless is the latest of our initiatives to build more resilient communities and reduce the fear and instances of crime. This work embodies the values outlined in our Children and Young People’s Plan to keep young people safe and supported and ensure they are able to enjoy life.

Information can be given online to Fearless or Crimestoppers, or by calling freephone 0800 555 111 at any time. The charity is independent of the police.