People in rural communities are being encouraged to speak up about suspicious or criminal activity with the crime prevention advocate Crimestoppers re-launching its rural campaign.

The 'Shut the gate on rural crime' campaign aims to give individuals in rural communities greater confidence to voice their concerns anonymously by using Crimestoppers' free 0800 number which is answered 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

Crimestoppers CEO Jude Mannion says the campaign's message is: 'we all have to step up and make a good call”.

'If we see something suspicious or dangerous happen in our local rural communities – anyone who contacts Crimestoppers remains anonymous,” says Jude.
'Police tell us that one in four reports, that we pass onto them from the Crimestoppers' line, are actionable – which means police can take action on it.”

Stickers
As part of the campaign, which is supported by New Zealand's leading rural insurer FMG and New Zealand Post, rural households will receive ‘It's your call' stickers to place around their properties, posters, fridge magnets, and business cards with Crimestoppers' contact details.
While some rural people don't want to report on others in their neighbourhood, Jude says Crimestoppers' makes it easy for these individuals. 'You can get it off your chest – whether it is a real crime or not.”

'If you live in a small, close-knit community and you're losing stock or equipment and do not want to point the finger or speak to police – then Crimestoppers gives you another channel to record what you have seen,” says Jude.
She is encouraging farmers and landowners to place stickers on letterboxes, barn doors and farm gates, 'so if a criminal does sneak up your driveway hopefully it's a target to put them off”.

Support
Jude believes this is the first time a rural company is supporting Crimestoppers and police in a rural crime prevention initiative, thanks to FMG getting on board.
FMG's manager of advice and insurance Conrad Wilkshire says, as New Zealand's leading rural insurer, his organisation works closely with farmers and those within rural communities, so it made perfect sense for them to get involved.
FMG is funding the promotional material, which can be ordered by New Zealand's 12 police districts, and New Zealand Post is delivering promotional packs to rural properties free of charge.

'We're proud to be part of the campaign, because as a rural insurer, we know the impact crime can have on people, as we either fund the outcome of a crime, or re-instate the loss from criminal activity,” says Conrad.
He says a piece of information that may seem small in itself could be the vital clue police need to solve a wider pattern of offending. 'I think Crimestoppers empowers rural people. Sometimes, being rural can make people feel isolated and I believe this initiative will give these communities a stronger voice and the confidence collectively to use that voice.”

Overall FMG is not seeing an increase in rural claims 'but we're always looking at ways to reduce the number of claims we receive”.
The company has information on crime prevention and how to spot tell-tale signs of criminal activity posted online at: www.youtube.com
It also runs a risk services business unit to help with prevention of crime in their industry. 'The easiest way to deal with insurance claims is to prevent them occurring,” says Conrad.

Crimestoppers chairman John Perham - a rural resident himself - says about 35 per cent of all calls to Crimestoppers' come from rural areas.
The organisation receives about 1500 calls and secure online reports per month and this number has been steadily increasing each month since Crimestoppers began in late 2009.

Information
'Every call could potentially hold valuable information. Whether it's stock or machinery being stolen or sold too cheaply or odd movements of people around an isolated area, every contribution helps to fill in the gaps,” says John.

Assistant Police commissioner Grant Nicholls says police are backing the campaign. "If people have information on crime or suspicious activity our preference is always for them to talk to the police first, but if for whatever reason they don't want to do that, we're encouraging them to pass on what they know to Crimestoppers,” says Grant.
'Mainly, we want people to make a good call – everyone has a part to play in keeping our rural communities safe and crime-free,” says Jude.
To contact Crimestoppers, call 0800 555 111 or fill in a secure online form at: www.crimestoppers-nz.org