City’s partners against crime launch 'Thieves Don't Care' campaign

Householders, drivers, business owners and major employers are the target for a major new crime prevention campaign.

Thieves don’t care….. is a police led campaign which is backed and funded by Crimestoppers, Plymouth Community Safety Partnership, the City College and Plymouth Against Retail Crime (PARC).

The group will join with media partners across the city and use social media to alert people where and when crime trends develop, to emphasise the importance of protecting property and belongings from thieves and to help gather intelligence.

Companies such as B&Q and Citybus have already signed up to support the campaign.

The most recent published crime figures show a year on year drop in so called acquisitive crime across the city and show that positive policing and partnership work has had a big impact on acquisitive crime.

They showed 63 fewer robberies, 326 fewer houses burgled, 473 fewer victims of ‘other’ burglaries, 87 fewer stolen cars and a similar reduced number of thefts from vehicles. Shoplifting also showed a slight fall.

But there are fears that a £27m cut to the city’s benefit budget, as a result of the Government’s welfare reforms, will see an increase in both opportunist and organised acquisitive crimes such as theft from cars, burglary and shoplifting.

The campaign is flexible and will be used across many different crime types.

The Thieves Don’t Care….. will provide an umbrella brand for the initiative, but it may be adapted to support specific campaigns that may arise, for example where there has been a spate of shed breaks or burglaries, or in preparation for a date in the calendar such as Christmas or fresher’s week.

“This is the biggest and most coordinated campaign to alert and remind everyone in the city to look after their property, whether that is at home at work or on the road,” said campaign architect Sarah German, the force’s crime prevention officer in Plymouth.

“This will be an ongoing campaign which uses as many tools as possible to get over the message that when a thief steals your purse, breaks into your car or steals from your shop, they simply don’t care what effect it has on you.

“We want people to know they can do something to stop thieves either by employing crime prevention measures like Smartwater and fitting better locks, or that by anonymously reporting crime and criminals to Crimestoppers they can bring thieves to justice.

“I would urge all companies and individuals to find out more about the campaign by following it on Twitter at @ThievesDontCare”