Residents are being urged to speak out on a range of organised crimes including vice and exploitation, pop-up brothels and money-laundering.
Crimestoppers wants to hear from members of the public who live and work in Runcorn as it seeks to increase reporting levels in the town. An extensive list of crime types being targeted range from selling drugs and counterfeit goods, county lines drug supply including the use of young and vulnerable people, trading weapons, human trafficking, modern slavery, cannabis cultivation, and loan sharks
The independent charity said making Runcorn a safer place requires preventing crooks profiting from “the pain and misery they cause”, namely by providing information so they can be brought to book. A Crimestoppers spokesman said criminals have been preying on vulnerable residents due to the cost-of-living crisis by “tempting them to become involved with the offer of being able to pay off debts or heat their homes”.
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He said Crimestoppers can help to disrupt gang activity by passing on detailed anonymous “intelligence” and keep neighbourhoods safe. A poster accompanying the campaign features the slogan "criminal gangs are harming life in Runcorn".
The charity has compiled a list of questions to prompt the public and encourage them to report what they see or hear.
These are:
Who runs the local drugs trade?
How do they recruit those who are being exploited?
Are they living a lavish lifestyle but not working?
Are there cash businesses suspected of money laundering?
Who carries a knife on the streets?
What are the names of loan sharks operating in the area?
Which properties are being used to grow cannabis?
What are the locations of any pop-up brothels?
Do residents have concerns about people who might be victims of modern slavery?
What members of a serious crime gang operate in the area?
Gary Murray, North West regional manager for Crimestoppers, said: “Criminals perpetuate the myth that you shouldn’t `grass’, so that they can carry on without challenge and cause harm to communities and often vulnerable individuals – all whilst enjoying living off the profits of their crimes.
“I encourage anyone who has information about those orchestrating or carrying out crime in Runcorn to contact our charity anonymously, either online or by phone. Only you will know you contacted us.
“Every year across Cheshire, we receive over 4,500 pieces of actionable information; this leads to a significant number of arrests, millions of pounds of drugs seized and weapons being taken off our streets.
“We would like to thank those who have previously contacted our charity. Remember, we guarantee you’ll be 100% anonymous and I encourage anyone with information to contact us.
“We will never know who they are because of anonymity, but they have made Cheshire safer for everyone and made a real difference.”
To report crime in Cheshire completely anonymously, visit the charity’s website Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in the “simple and secure” anonymous online form, or call our 24-seven UK contact centre on freephone 0800 555 111.
The spokesman added computer IP addresses are never traced, and no-one will ever know who has been in touch. He said telephone calls have no caller number display, no 1471 facility and the charity has never traced a call.
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