OCTOBER 20 ― While other Malaysian students make it a point to travel across the UK and enjoy the obligatory trip to Europe (all my brothers have been), I made my adventure whilst firmly parking my behind on the couch watching British television.
As a result, after 20 years, I have not yet set foot on European soil but I know British television better than most natives!
That is why I was shocked and utterly disappointed when I read that Crimewatch was about to be cancelled. Crimewatch is a British institution!
The reason for its cancellation wasn’t convoluted though. A simple ratings drop accompanied by far more competitive programs on BBC1 did it.
I would like to ask though, are these good enough reasons? But all is not lost as an inferior edition of the programme, Crimewatch Roadshow, is scheduled to run in the mornings, when few people are available to watch.
Crimewatch has been around for more than 30 years. It was a programme which was conceived to bring the public into the business of crime solving and prevention. And it was a resounding success.
Back in the 90s, when I was very new to the UK, it helped me understand how to keep myself safe. Crimewatch came on once a month for an hour and in that hour, I was able to understand the variety of crimes that were taking place in the nation.
Relevant to me at the time were scams which were being carried out on students ie. fake phone cards which were just being introduced back then.
Another thing which interested me was gang mythology. I was in the Midlands at the time (think Perak in Malaysian terms) so there was not much going on there but in London, gangland killings were a frequent occurrence.
The information I acquired did not scare me off from visiting London but it did prompt me to avoid certain areas which were prone to gang violence.
Almost 20 years on, gang violence has escalated and I still benefit from the erstwhile wisdom I acquired in those days.
Crimewatch was also very useful when it came to understanding the modus operandi of serial killers and sex offenders. Actually, in the case of Sarah Payne in 2001, it was Crimewatch’s appeal (which was delivered in two programmes) which produced the name of the prime suspect, Roy Whiting.
Sarah Payne was a child who was walking home alone from her grandparents when she was kidnapped and killed. Her legacy is Sarah’s Law which allows the public controlled access to the paedophile registry and thus inform them if one is living close by.
A more terrifying case which featured on Crimewatch was that of Jamie Bulger in 1993. Bulger was a year-old child who was abducted, tortured and killed by two 10-year-olds! This was a very famous appeal for witnesses in Crimewatch’s history.
Perhaps the saddest case for Crimewatch was that of Madeline McCann. She was a five-year-old child who in 2007 was abducted from a villa in Portugal and never seen again.
There was a nationwide appeal for information and Crimewatch would feature developments in her case from time to time. Unfortunately, even after 10 years, Madeline’s case has never been solved.
As you can see, Crimewatch has had a significant impact on British culture over the last three decades.
Unfortunately, the emergence of new media has made it somewhat less popular over time and now the BBC has relegated it to a pathetic version of itself away from prime time programming.
I think the fight against crime should not be subject to economic forces though. It is a concern for all of us. Sadly, economic forces took precedence.
Crimewatch will be missed.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
