| Dear reader, Today marks an important day for The Lancashire Post & Blackpool Gazette as well as our sister titles across the NationalWorld network. We've launched a campaign to highlight crimes that go unnoticed, crimes that often go unreported, crimes that will go unsolved - we're calling it Silent Crime. Lancashire Post and The Blackpool Gazette have launched a special campaign to raise awareness of the Silent Crime crisis in a hard-hitting new series. But first we want to hear from you... We've curated a survey giving you the chance to raise your voice, so please let us know what happened to you. You can share your experience here. Please take the time to join our campaign against Silent Crime. Thanks very much, The LEP & Gazette team. I witnessed a gang of shoplifters come into my charity shop and threaten my colleague with a knife Richard Lawton, is a volunteer at the Street Angels charity shop on Talbot Road, Blackpool. He said says he has experienced first hand the lengths shoplifters will go to get the goods they want. He said: āWe have had a shoplifter come in with a knife and try and rob the shop. Another tactic is for them to come in as part of a massive crowd, like 10 of them and try sticking coats down their jackets. āWe have reported some incidents by dialling 999.ā The constant stock losses and cost to the charity led to the Street Angels team purchasing of a CCTV systems costing more than Ā£1,500. Lancashire Police say shoplifting is a key priority for them and they are working with local businesses to tackle the issue.
Let's put an end to Silent Crime - Richard Lawton shares his experience here. A woman threw a glass coffee jar at my colleague Stephen Cook, team leader at Co-op on Leyton Road 'Earlier this year, we had a lady come in. She threw a glass coffee jar at one of my colleagues and tried to throw a trolley at him. She then jumped over the counter, grabbed a load of spirits, and then she put our window through, causing Ā£500 of damage.' An epidemic of Silent Crime We are calling this epidemic of violence, theft and anti-social behaviour, Silent Crime - and we are campaigning for the voices of victims to be heard. Share your experience of Silent Crime here. We want to hear of incidents that have happened to you, family or friends; what was the lasting impact and whether justice was served. The truth of how few crimes result in someone being held responsible is staggering. An offender was brought to justice in only 10% of reported crimes in 2023. That's bad enough in itself, however the key phrase 'reported crimes' meant the true number will be shockingly higher. Research also shows that we often only bother to report about four out of every 10 crimes to authorities. Combine those two figures and it's clear the vast majority of crimes happen and offer absolutely no hope of justice. And so the cycle continues. Faith in social systems is at rock bottom Why isn't the criminal justice system more efficient at making criminals pay for their crimes? It would seem that faith in the systems built to keep us safe is at rock bottom. Most of these issues aren't the fault of police in the UK, a lot of responsibility rests at the feet of a social care system that has collapsed, as well as politicians who have turned a blind eye. However, that doesn't mean that urgent action shouldn't be taken - remember it doesn't have to be this way. To force change, we need to unite and remind ourselves that these 'little' crimes are not acceptable. You should feel safe at work, at home, in the park and within our neighbourhoods. We need you to tell us your stories and we, on your behalf, will take them to Downing Street. It's time to find our voice and put an end to Silent Crime. Here's how to join our campaign If you've ever suffered at the hands of Silent Crime - share your experience. Share you experiences by contacting Luke at our newsdesk here. Or reach out to us using our YourWorld portal and by selecting Lancashire Post from our list of titles. Thank you for your time and compassion. | 