New high-tech solutions help retailers and businesses fight back against crime and ASB
New technology and security measures funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews are helping to crack down on retail crime and increase confidence among shopworkers, it has been revealed.
As the nation marks Safer Business Action Week (9-15 November), the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC provided an update on the new resources he has funded to help businesses and retailers protect their staff and livelihoods from crime.
The PCC shared £46,853 between nine councils and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the summer as part of his mission to increase support for businesses and retailers and improve their resilience to crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Each area was eligible for up to £5,270 to deliver bespoke solutions for the unique issues they face in their areas.
Blaby District Council requested funding for a Snapchat geofencing campaign targeting young people to reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the installation of a bollard to prevent vehicles entering a restricted business area alongside an improved broadband service for its CCTV network to increase the detection of crime and ASB.
Geo-fencing is a location-based advertising strategy that draws a virtual boundary around an area to deliver targeted or custom advertising to social media users who enter the area.
The campaign reached more than 10,000 individual accounts in the geofenced area over a three-week period. Additionally, since the bollard was installed, there have been no further incidents of unauthorised vehicles entering the precinct or vehicle-related crimes.
Ashby BID purchased 10 retail radios for their business network to increase radio coverage and communication between retailers and the CCTV team.
The equipment is already helping to reduce thefts and enable swift action to investigate suspicious activity.
And last month (October), three incidents were reported and quickly addressed by police and businesses in the Hinckley and Bosworth area, following funding to the area’s BID to upgrade an existing retail radio network.
Meanwhile, the DISC retail system has launched in Rutland after the county council secured funding for the project and the purchase of 15 refurbished radio units through the Commissioner’s funding.
DISC is an information sharing app which empowers business owners to share information about incidents and offenders between themselves so they can better protect themselves against crime and keep their property, employees and customers safe. It also enables them to report incidents to the police quickly.
Rutland’s Community Safety team are in the process of adding local businesses into the network.
Meanwhile, businesses in Loughborough have received individual grants to upgrade their security, benefitting from new alarm and intercom systems to doorbells and CCTV cameras, thanks to PCC funding secured by LoveLoughborough.
And in Leicester, shopworkers are reporting improved confidence in dealing with shoplifters thanks to the addition of Body Worn Video cameras funded by the PCC.
Business Crime is a key priority in the Commissioner’s new Police and Crime Plan with the PCC committed to equipping businesses with the information and resources they need to protect themselves from crime and to eliminate the harm posed to their employees.
The PCC has also vowed to roll out more crime prevention programmes to help businesses reduce their risk and to make it easier to report crime while ensuring the force pursues all reasonable lines of enquiry and investigates business crime effectively.
To that end he has funded and distributed posters giving access to business crime support and prevention advice.
Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews said: “I’m pleased this funding is already making a difference in our communities by deterring ASB and helping shopworkers feel safer and more confident.
“From my regular conversations with business owners, I know crime and ASB take both an emotional and economic toll. It is hard to imagine living with the constant threat of crime while bearing responsibility for staff safety and protecting jobs.
This is why increasing support for businesses and their employees is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan.
“Businesses are vital for safe and prosperous communities. They employ local people, provide essential goods and services and generate funds that support our public services. They deserve support and I will continue to do all I can to protect them from criminality and ASB.”
Safer Business Action Week (also known as SaBA Week) is a national initiative across the UK led by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) aimed at coordinating enforcement activity to proactively tackle retail crime, ASB and crimes affecting businesses.
