50,000th call on crime

SAFER COMMUNITY: John Perham says Crimestoppers provides a way for people to help their community without fear of retribution. PHOTO: ANDREW BONALLACK/WTA041113ABPERHAM

Passionate about making our communities safer John Perham helped set up Crimestoppers - an anonymous service where callers can pass on information about crimes.

In 2009, the South Wairarapa man was asked as a senior adviser by then New Zealand Police Commissioner Howard Broad what might work to make communities safer and support police. Crimestoppers New Zealand was born.

It is a tollfree anonymous tip line where people can ring in and pass on information about crimes that is passed on to police intelligence. The information is collated to build a bigger picture of crimes to be solved.

Now the organisation is poised to take its 50,000th anonymous call.

Mr Perham is chairman of Crimestoppers and said the project was launched about the same time the father of the Kahui twins went on trial. He was later found not guilty of their deaths.

He said had Crimestoppers been around, family members and extended family in the Kahui case might have come forward anonymously.

It is hoped the project might help prevent further cases such as Nia Glassie's death as well. "Enough people had information collectively for those babies [Kahui twins and Nia Glassie] to be alive today. People need to feel confident to come forward," Mr Perham said.

It's not only about preventing murders but reducing violence against women and children, reducing drug traffic, gang and other organised crime.

"We seek to try to help to make our communities safer."

Where there were high crime rates, employers weren't confident to invest, which in turn resulted in less employment, Mr Perham said.

Contacting Crimestoppers provides a way for people to help their community without fear of retribution.

"We want to be able to help communities create robust employment for their citizens. We do that by providing people with the ability to easily provide information where there is wrong-doing going on. They can be assured they will be anonymous and won't have to suffer retaliation ... it can be scary for some people to stand up. It's scary for them to just ring police and talk to them. We want to know what you know, not who you know.

"It's all about reducing crime through the 'bigger picture'.

"Very few crimes are solved by one piece of information. When the information comes together, and is then looked at, it can lead to strong conclusions.

"It gives police the whole picture ... we want to reduce the number of people committing crimes. We should be able to be safe and those of us involved have got to aspire to that goal.

"If people feel safe and life is well, small business will invest and there will be jobs for those living in these communities."

About 50 per cent of the calls Crimestoppers receive are about drug-related activities, 20 per cent property theft and arson and the rest about other crimes including domestic violence and crimes against children. The anonymous 24-hour line receives about 60 calls per day.

"We want people to feel confident to call in crimes, especially violence and crimes against women and children.

"We are starting to get more calls as we have earned our stripes. People are more confident to call.

"If you reduce the opportunity for crime because you are more aware, it will make a huge difference."

Mr Perham is adamant Crimestoppers is making a difference.

"Police have a pretty hard job. We are the third leg of the stool. Without us, the stool wouldn't stand up ... this is a fantastic thing and I feel really privileged to be involved and helping make a real difference."