8:27pm Sunday 8th June 2008
By Andrew Greaves
The head of the Lancashire Crimestoppers charity says the use of social networking sites to promote the group is an "exciting development."
Crimestoppers is using social networking sites Facebook and Bebo to publicise its work.
The Facebook page not only provides information about what the charity does, but also has a live feed of some of its Most Wanted featured appeals, where members of the public can play detective and pass on information anonymously if they recognise anyone.
Additionally, there are case studies on the anonymous crime reporting number, YouTube videos and a discussion forum encouraging people to discuss crime topics that have been in the news recently, like gun and knife crime.
Gail Porter, the chair of Lancashire Crimestoppers, said: “This is an exciting development because social networking sites are becoming increasingly important media outlets for charities as they have the potential to reach huge untapped audiences, especially among young people.
“Our mission on Facebook is to tell more people about the invaluable community service we provide.
"Anybody who has information about criminal activity can pass it on to Crimestoppers anonymously, without living in fear of the consequences."
The link to the Crimestoppers pages are available by clicking the links below.
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