People who want to do their bit to help fight crime in Derbyshire could be in luck as independent charity Crimestoppers, is appealing for new people to become a volunteer.
The organisation, which is currently in its 25th year, has 500 volunteers across the UK all working to make their communities safer places, said a spokesman.
Crimestoppers allows members of the public to report information about a crime anonymously. The details will then be passed on to police officers who are investigating the incident in a bid to help find anyone involved.
The charity aims to helps officers to track down criminals and help solve offences. It uses an anonymous phone number, which runs 24/7 so people can leave tip offs for the police without fearing reprisals from crooks.
Regional manager for the East Midlands, Kiran Dhanda, said: "Before I joined Crimestoppers, I heard so much about the role volunteers play and I would be delighted to see some bright and enthusiastic members of the public join us in the area.
"You can dedicate as much or as little time as you like - every little helps and your efforts will be rewarded with the satisfaction that you are playing a part in keeping your community safe."
The charity is wanting people who have expertise in all areas from business to media or even fund-raising.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer for Crimestoppers in Derbyshire is urged to get in touch with Kiran Dhanda by calling 07827995358 or emailing kiran.dhanda@crimestoppers-uk.org.
What does Crimestoppers do with your information?
After receiving a call, volunteers work to create a report that brings together all the information, making sure there are no details that could identify the person who called them. The reports are then sent to the relevant authority with the legal responsibility to investigate crimes, make arrests and charge people. This could be a local policy force or an agency such as the UK Border Agency or HM Revenue and Customs.
When a report is given to law enforcement, the police need to:
- Thoroughly research the information given in order to act on it;
- Make sure that information is accurate and not given with the intention of 'setting someone up';
- Have other intelligence that supports the information received from Crimestoppers.
The police cannot get a search warrant or make an arrest based solely on anonymous information, so the extra research carried out by the police means they can used information provided by Crimestoppers.
