Calls for young people in Scotland to anonymously report crime over Christmas
Fearless – the youth service of independent charity Crimestoppers - is launching a new campaign.
Teenagers are being encouraged to report information about crime over the Christmas period.
Crimestoppers is launching a festive campaign where young people can speak up anonymously about something that isn't right.
Lyndsay McDade is from the charity and said: "If you are concerned about exploitation, if there is drug dealing going on in your community or if you are worried about the neglect of a young person then you can go to our website and tell us what you know.
"Young people can sometimes spot the signs of harm before anyone else can so it is really important they feel they can go somewhere and tell us what they know."
Specialist teams will also be in train stations all across Scotland to talk to rail passengers about the impact of anti-social behaviour and raise awareness of their vital service.
Lyndsay added: "At this time of year there can be an extra pressure to act like life is great and everything is shiny and happy which isn't always the case.
"If you need to report something then you will be completely anonymous and we will process the information from you.
“At Fearless.org, we can’t trace your IP addresses or any contact details that could identify you. Nobody will ever know the information came from you, but it will have made such a positive difference.”
Allan Brooking, Community Safety Manager at Scotland’s Railway, said: “We’re always working hard to make Scotland’s Railway safer for passengers and local communities and we are proud to be supporting Fearless.org with the festive campaign.
“During the Christmas and New Year period we often see a marked increase in young passengers using rail services.
"We want young people to enjoy the festivities but it’s vital they are safe when travelling and continue to stay safe once they reach their destination.
“We fully appreciate for some people this time of year can bring additional challenges and we hope our partnership with Fearless will provide young people with the knowledge they need to anonymously report crime.”