The two London boroughs of Wandsworth and Richmond upon Thames are working alongside Fearless, the dedicated youth service of the charity Crimestoppers, which supports young people to speak up about crime whilst staying completely anonymous.
Fearless gives non-judgemental advice and provides a safe place for young people who are worried about talking to the police to pass on what they know without saying who they are.
The Community Safety Partnership from the boroughs of Wandsworth and Richmond upon Thames and Fearless have launched a six week-long campaign to raise awareness around common crimes affecting young people and challenging the common misperceptions around so-called ‘snitching’.
The campaign encourages young people in the boroughs to speak up and be active bystanders so that they can give information about crime safely in their local community.
Fearless in Wandsworth and Richmond
A series of adverts will run across both areas using the stories of two young people who are worried about crime but do not want to be labelled a ‘snitch’ for speaking up.
There will also be Fearless educational workshops held for professionals and partners who can then go on to talk about giving information 100% anonymously when working with young people in the boroughs.
Fearless gives young people an option of staying 100% anonymous when speaking up about crime. Information can be given via Fearless.org or by calling freephone 0800 555 111 at any time or via Crimestoppers-uk.org. The charity is independent of the police.
Alexa Loukas, London Regional Manager for the charity Crimestoppers, said: “We hope this campaign will encourage young people to speak up and tell Fearless.org what they know, 100% anonymously. We understand it’s not easy and that young people may have concerns when it comes to speaking to the police or be scared about repercussions. We’re determined to help and support young people to feel confident in sharing their concerns and by speaking up they can help make our schools, colleges and communities safer.”
Councillor Graeme Henderson, cabinet member for community safety at Wandsworth Council, said: “We are delighted to work with Crimestoppers on the Fearless campaign. A priority of the Wandsworth Community Safety Partnership is to respond to violence, raise awareness and address the impact crime has on young people. The Fearless campaign is being launched specifically for young people, providing them an anonymous way of reporting crimes that impact them, including violence and robbery, where they feel unable to report to the police for fear of repercussions. Having insight of where and what our young people experience will help us target our resources and keep other young people safe.”
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 anonymous.’
