Dartford town centre has been chosen by CrimeStoppers and Kent Police to host a new initiative to host ‘most wanted’ images on digital media screens located in the town.
Images of people wanted by Kent Police will appear on two digital media screens located in the Orchards Shopping Centre from June 25th. Pictures will rotate several times each hour, all day, every day. It follows a successful pilot project aimed at ensuring criminals think twice before coming into Dartford, knowing that their appearance may trigger calls and responses from local people who recognise them from the screens.
It is hoped that in time the initiative will be rolled out across several other shopping centres and towns across the U.K..
Police Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott will be launching the initiative at 9am on Tuesday 25 June at the Orchard Centre, and will be joined by representatives from Dartford Borough Council, Dartford Town Against Crime (DTAC) and other members of Kent Police.
Peter Rolington, Chair of Kent CrimeStoppers said, “CrimeStoppers is anonymous and therefore members of the public can rest assured that any information they give will be without fear of being identified. If we all play a part in fighting against crime then criminals will think twice about coming to Dartford.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner
Matthew Scott said, “CrimeStoppers does fantastic work supporting Kent Police
in bringing offenders to justice and screens like these, which my funding helps
support, are proven to catch wanted people.
‘We are sending a very clear message that Dartford town centre is no place for
criminality. This is about residents, businesses, the council and the police
all working together to ensure Kent remains a safe place to live, work and
visit.”
Council Leader Jeremy Kite said, “Dartford Borough Council has worked well with CrimeStoppers in the past and we take the view that it ought to be criminals who are nervous to be out and about in Dartford not decent people. We had no hesitation in supporting this pioneering initiative with Kent Police and Crimestoppers.”
Debbie Carey, Orchards Shopping Centre Manager and Chair of DTAC said, “This is a great achievement for The Orchards and Dartford town centre and should go a long way to assisting us all in reducing our stock loss figures, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage that we have to deal with on a day to day basis.”
