'Bad news for arsonists in Hertfordshire' council claims with launch of new service
Hertfordshire County Council has hailed the launch of a new service which it claims will be ‘bad news for arsonists’.
The authority announced it was launching a new ‘Firestoppers’ service alongside the national charity Crimestoppers.
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is partnering with the charity which specialises in gathering anonymously-supplied evidence to help solve crimes.
FireStoppers has been created to encourage people to pass on information relating to arson and deliberate fires started across the county.
Anyone who uses the service will be granted guaranteed anonymity, it is hoped potential witnesses will feel they can ‘speak up’ safely.
Data recorded by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service shows that last year over 1,000 incidents of deliberate fires were recorded. The council adds that these calls are among thousands of other reports that are sent to the service.
The council says this leads to unnecessary pressure on the service and a diversion of resources to incidents that could have been avoided.
Phone numbers will not be seen on the Firestoppers board and and IP addresses are scrambled.
Information can be reported to Firestoppers online or by calling 0800 169 5558.
Chief fire officer of Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Alex Woodman, said: “Each year we attend hundreds of unnecessary calls, to acts of deliberate fires being started, that not only divert resources at a time when budgets are stretched, but place both the public and fire crews at risk of serious harm or even death.
“If you know of someone who has, or plans to commit an act of arson, please get in touch anonymously.”