Services for South Africans

SA's anonymous crime tip-off line

27 August 2008

Over 500 arrests have been made since the launch of Crime Line, a groundbreaking anti-crime initiative that allows members of the public to make anonymous SMS tip-offs on suspected crimes at any time of the day.

According to the Crime Line website, over 500 arrests had been made, and stolen goods worth over R20-million confiscated, since the initiative was launched in June 2007 by advertising and media company Primedia Limited, with full backing from the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Information received through Crime Line is passed on to the police, who have undertaken to act promptly on the information and give regular public feedback on the progress of the initiative.

SMS's to the number - 32211 - cost R1 each, and can be sent 24 hours a day.

Tip-offs can also be sent electronically via the Crime Line website

The number is not a crime emergency line, and people who witness a crime or are a victim of a crime should still call 10111 or their nearest police station.

The Crime Line data centre protects the privacy of those who forward information, allowing South Africans to contribute towards the fight against crime in the country without fear of being questioned by law enforcement authorities or of alerting those they report against.

"Our data capturers receive extensive training from the South African Police Service," says Primedia's Crime Line head, Yusuf Abramjee.

Public-private partnerships

Primedia, which injected R50-million into the project in its first year, aims to mobilise thousands of South Africans in the fight against crime, in a move hailed as a practical example of public-private partnerships in action.

In June 2008, to mark the first anniversary of the initiative, Primedia announced a number of partnerships to extend the campaign. These include the South African Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC's) signing up as a partner, which will see Crime Line being promoted extensively on the public broadcaster’s radio and television stations.

Port Elizabeth's Algoa FM will also be allocating R1-million worth of airtime to promote Crime Line, while several community radio stations have also come on board.

Primedia has also appointed its first group of Crime Line "ambassadors", which include popular musicians Danny K, Steve Hofmeyr, Claire Johnston and Craig Hinds; sport personalities "Baby Jake" Matlala, Mark Fish, Breyton Paulse, Clive Rice, Imtiaz Patel and Ali Bacher; actor Florence Masebe, comedian John Vlismas and filmmaker Leon Schuster.

And the "Crime Line Life's Good Roadshow", sponsored by LG, has begun visiting high schools, with Crime Line ambassador Alan Heyl - a former member of the notorious Stander Gang - helping to get the anti-crime message across to young South Africans.

Breaking the silence

According to Abramjee, feedback from security stakeholders indicated that the public lacked a "user-friendly platform" to enable them to blow the whistle on crime at their comfort. This is where Crime Line fits in.

"We see ourselves as an independent conduit between the public and the authorities, so that the public can have the greater confidence that they can participate in the fight against crime without any reprisals or disruptions to their daily lives," he says.

The campaign's message is simple: "If you have any information about criminals - be they murderers, rapists, robbers, hijackers, burglars, drug dealers, gangsters, child abusers, fraudsters, smash and grabbers or petty criminals - let us know and we will get the police to act.

"This is not a forum to whinge about crime or make hoax calls. It is aimed at helping the authorities catch criminals."

The campaign is in line with the government's call for the public to break their silence on crime, Abramjee says. "Our campaign breaks the barriers by giving people the opportunity to provide information without directly speaking to the police."

Speaking at Crime Line's first anniversary celebrations, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula highlighted the importance of community involvement in fighting crime, saying that Crime Line had become a platform from which ordinary South Africans could get involved in combating crime.

SAinfo reporter and BuaNews