Isle of Man Crimestoppers has appointed one of its volunteers, the Government’s former Chief Financial Officer, Mark Shimmin, as its new Chairman. He takes over from Phil O’Shea who has been carrying out the role of Acting Chair of the charity. Crimestoppers provides a way for all members of the community to pass on information about crime anonymously by ringing the charity’s hotline on 0800 555111. 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the UK Crimestoppers charity to which the Isle of Man branch is affiliated. For over 15 years the Isle of Man branch has operated as an independent local charity helping police to fight crime. All calls made from the Island are handled by the UK Crimestoppers’ Call Centre, so callers from the Island can be assured of their complete anonymity. Information can also be given anonymously online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org and the website also has lots of useful information about crime prevention. In some instances, the charity offers rewards for information which leads to someone being arrested and charged with criminal offences.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Shimmin said he was looking forward to continuing the charity’s excellent work, and building on the significant achievements of Phil O’Shea as Acting Chair, and previous Chairman Stuart McCudden. Mr Shimmin added:

“While crime rates on the Island are generally low, any crime incident can have a significant impact on victims and their families. Over the past decade more than 1,400 people have provided information to Isle of Man Crimestoppers which has helped police to maintain the quality of life that we all enjoy. As Chairman, my main aims will be to ensure that Crimestoppers continues to play its important role in helping to combat crime, and to encourage more volunteers to come forward to support our work.”

Mr Shimmin was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2002. He stepped down from the post in 2013 and is now Executive Director of the Small Countries Financial Management Centre (SCFMC).

For more information about Isle of Man Crimestoppers go to https://crimestoppers-uk.org/in-your-area/north-west/isle-of-man/ where you will also find an online ‘contact us’ form.

Photo - Mark Shimmin, Chairman of Isle of Man Crimestoppers.