• Howick and Pakuranga Times
WAYS of incorporating interpreting services into the Crimestoppers NZ service are being investigated by Botany MP Pansy Wong.
The Ethnic Affairs Office hosts a language line which offers a free telephone interpreting service in 40 languages to clients and officials of 60 Government agencies.
Mrs Wong, who is Minister of Ethnic Affairs, is hoping the Crimestoppers number can, in time, be linked to the language line.
Until a New Zealand call centre can be set up, calls to the Crimestoppers phone number and online crime reports will be handled by the British Crimestoppers call centre, which will send the anonymous information to New Zealand Police for action.
“I think Crimestoppers is a fantastic initiative,” Mrs Wong says. “Apart from support for the local community, we want to talk to them to see if the language line can be part of it.”
Early on in the hunt for missing Henderson toddler Aisling Symes, Mrs Wong says the Ethnic Affairs Office talked to police to ensure the investigation’s 0800 number was linked to the language line.
“It’s about making sure people of all backgrounds can help in this important area of law and order,” she says. “When I was door-knocking before and since the election, it was amazing how much the residents had in common. Safety was a huge issue, one that all people share.”
• To access the language line, phone or visit the desired agency and ask for the language. An interpreter is usually available within two minutes to help a person talk to the agency. The line is open from Monday to Friday from 9am-6pm.
Illegal activities at work
WORKPLACE whistle-blowing will be possible for people employed by organisations which contract for the Crimestoppers Integrity Line.
The phoneline allows staff members who observe illegal activities within their workplace – harassment fraud, theft, bullying and corruption, for example – to contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
Workplace whistle-blowing is a sensitive issue, Crimestoppers NZ says. Staff members who inform on colleagues often feel at risk of being isolated at work, subjected to punitive behaviour or losing their job.
By contracting for the service, it believes an organisation puts in place a high level of transparency, notifying the public that it will behave within the highest levels of ethics and integrity.
Consumer fraud is also being tackled with collaboration between Crimestoppers and the global payment services organisation Western Union Company, which is rolling out a national security awareness and fraud education campaign.
The top five online scams identified by the company are internet purchases, bogus prizes, counterfeit cheques or money orders, lonely hearts websites and loans.
As part of the campaign, the company’s forms will be redesigned to include information on fraud prevention and Crimestoppers free call number and website details.
A hyperlink to the Crimestoppers website will be placed on the New Zealand Western Union website for information on how fraud can be prevented.
• People should continue to call 111 in emergencies and *555 to report traffic matters, while non-urgent crime should be reported to local police stations.
The Crimestoppers’ phone number to give information anonymously is 0800-555-111, or people can submit an encrypted form online at www.crimestoppers-nz.org
