11 June
Crimestoppers NZ will be providing prisoners with an anonymous and safe way to report crime from within prison from June 21 announced Corrections National Intelligence Manager Rick McKee today.
“Prisoners have a great deal of knowledge about other criminals, about previous crimes that have been committed, and also about criminal acts that are being planned for the future,” says National Intelligence Manager Rick McKee.
“This includes knowing about a prisoner who may be putting pressure on his partner to bring drugs into the prison, having a cellmate brag about past crimes committed, or hearing about an associate on the outside planning to rob a local service station.”
“The fear of being labelled a ‘nark’ and the repercussions that prisoners may face from their peers in prison, or criminal associates in the community, can stop them from speaking up with that information. Some prisoners are also reluctant to disclose information to Police.”
Calls made to the 0800 555 111 Crimestoppers reporting line will be free to make from prisoner payphones across the country, and will be exempt from telephone monitoring - a system where prisoner’s calls are recorded and monitored by staff.
“The majority of prisoners we manage have the same sense of fairness as the rest of us – although not always about their own actions. This is heightened when another person is in danger, or being threatened, and they see it as unfair,” says Mr McKee.
“By aligning with Crimestoppers NZ we are providing a way for prisoners to share information they have completely anonymously. Prisoners can assist in making communities safer for their families on the outside, and prison safer for them while they serve their sentences.”
Crimestoppers NZ Chief Executive Lou Gardiner says Crimestoppers NZ has been operating in New Zealand since October 2009, and was launched with full support of NZ Police. It was modelled on the UK service which has run successfully for over 21 years.
“Lord Ashcroft KCMG, Chairman and founder of Crimestoppers UK, visited NZ to be at the launch the service, alongside Police and Corrections Minister, Hon Judith Collins. We are an independent charity who’s aim is to encourage all New Zealanders to report crime with the aim of making New Zealand communities safer.”
“In the seven months that Crimestoppers has been running in New Zealand nearly 3,800 calls have been made to the service. 1566 of these calls were categorised as actionable, with enough quality information for Police to investigate further. Over half of the calls related to the manufacture, supply and distribution of drugs.”
Calls to Crimestoppers are currently answered in London, where staff have undertaken training to assist them in understanding New Zealand locations and the way of life here. Mr Gardiner’s hope is that the calls will eventually be answered in New Zealand.
Corrections has previously operated its own crime reporting line for prisoners. The 0800 JAIL SAFE number will cease from June 21 when the Crimestoppers service is rolled out to prisoners. Calls made to the line were answered by the Department’s Operational Intelligence staff, the team charged with reducing crime in prison.
Information will still be provided to them - by Crimestoppers - in a summarised format that doesn’t include any of the callers identifying details. The information is another ‘tool’ for the Intelligence team, who use a range of specialised intelligence gathering methods to provide information to Corrections management about crime in prison, and how to stop it.
For further information contact the Communications Services Desk:
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