Crimestoppers heads for Ukraine

Adrian Beck, project director at Leicester University's Scarman Centre, has announced the launch of the well-known Crimestoppers initiative in the Ukraine. This is the first time that any former republic of the Soviet Union has adopted Crimestoppers as a crime reduction tool, and is the central tenet of "a programme of change" aimed at improving relations between the police and the public.

Officially launched on Tuesday 15 January by Ronald Smith (British Ambassador to the Ukraine), 'Zupyny Zlochyntsia' – the Russian equivalent of Crimestoppers, translating as 'Stop a Criminal' – will be administered by police officers located at the central Kharkiv hq.

In practice, they will disseminate and co-ordinate the flow of information to officers working in all those police units that are taking part in the initiative. Where appropriate, a small reward will be paid to any members of the general public that can provide information leading to an arrest and/or conviction.

Speaking exclusively to Security Management Today about the scheme, Adrian Beck said: "We are delighted that the Ukraine equivalent of Crimestoppers is now a reality. Developing closer links between the police and the public is an important process in helping to transform the police of the former Soviet Union from a force that's focused on serving the state to one that actively prioritises the needs of local communities. This is crucial."

'Zupyny Zlochyntsia' is part of a three-year project funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, during which time Beck and his colleagues at the University of Leicester will be keen to find out how British crime-fighting procedures translate to the region.

In the UK, Crimestoppers has been hugely successful at dealing with crime – since its inception back in 1988, information passed on via an eponymous freephone number has led to 45,000 arrests – not to mention the recovery of over £49 million worth of property, and drugs with a street value of £60 million.