First Welsh Crimestoppers Zone launched in Bridgend County Borough

Bridgend County Borough Council have teamed up with well-known charity Crimestoppers and Valleys to Coast Housing to introduce the first ever Crimestoppers Zone in Wales.

The zone, located in Wildmill, Bridgend has been introduced to encourage communities to give crime information anonymously and empower everyone to play a role in keeping Bridgend neighbourhoods safe.

Residents in the new Crimestoppers Zone, will be encouraged to speak up about criminal activity through the charity’s unique reporting service, safe in the knowledge that the information they have provided will remain a hundred per cent confidential.

The charity guarantees total anonymity when capturing crime information, which can be carried out in over 140 different languages. For those who call the charity, if required, a translator can be on the other end of the line within a couple of minutes.

The aim of Crimestoppers Zone initiative is not only to reduce crime, but to encourage communities to speak up safely and anonymously about what they know or their suspicions, to take a stand against crime and anti-social behaviour, without the fear of reprisals from criminals.

Hayley Fry, National Manager for Wales at the charity Crimestoppers, said:

"We're thrilled to launch this initiative in partnership with the council. The concept is simple, if you see something that concerns you, you now have a safe and anonymous way to speak up. With the Crimestoppers Zone, residents can report any suspicions or information about criminal activity without fear of reprisal. Your voice matters, and together, we can make a real difference in creating a safer, more secure Bridgend.

“Some people have information about crime but feel they don’t have anywhere or anyone to turn to. Please remember that the charity Crimestoppers and our Fearless service for young people are here to help. We do not judge or take any personal details from those who contact us. All we want is the information you have. You will remain 100 per cent anonymous. Always.”

It’s so important that people report incidents of crime. It highlights where trouble spots are and provides information about criminals, that the police can act on.

Residents have a more in-depth local knowledge than public bodies - by coming forward and sharing important information on crimes in the local neighbourhood you can play a vital role in helping to tackle unwanted, anti-social behaviour and help secure convictions for the perpetrators of these crimes.

We hope this initiative will not only build confidence among local communities about reporting crimes to the police or the council but also highlight the anonymity of Crimestoppers, a trusted and well-known organisation.

Councillor Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Wellbeing

You can contact the charity Crimestoppers in confidence, by calling 0800 555 111 at any time or by completing a secure online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org or Fearless.org for young people, where more can also be learnt about keeping themselves and their peers safe.

Please note: With Crimestoppers-uk.org and Fearless.org, computer IP addresses are never traced, and no-one will ever know you contacted them. For telephone calls to Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced.