Michael Schuck

1. Working with Retailing and the Evening Economy to Reduce Crime in Towns and Cities Michael Schuck Chief Executive, Action Against Business Crime (AABC)

2. Crime problems in retailing and licensing • What problems did these two sectors face • Why doing something was necessary • What needed to be done • How successful have we been? • The future

3. A Brief History of Retail Crime • What crime does the retail industry suffer from • How much of it is there • What is the cost • What are the effects of crime

4. Police recorded crime??

5. A briefer history of alcohol induced crime • Increased alcohol consumption • Unplanned expansion of licensed premises • Youth/club culture • Alcohol advertising • Loss of control of the streets/enforcement policies • Increased violence

6. Why do something? • Changes in police priorities • Increases in retail crime • Fragmented response to crime • No capable guardian • Increases in violence towards staff • Customer fear of crime and anti-social behaviour • Need to support new investment in towns and cities • Sustain growth & employment • Maintain quality of life

7. What was needed? • Identify problem • Develop a coherent strategy • Encourage cultural changes to retail crime reduction practices • Ensure inclusive involvement – retail, police, TCM, local authority, etc. • Ensure long-term sustainability – too many rockets

8. The problems • Only about business profit • Not a police target crime or KPI • A business problem – police/government view • Only benefits large multiples • Will displace crime to other areas • Only town-centre based • Business crime is a victimless crime

9. The Solution Business Crime Reduction Partnerships • Town centre is the start point – economic centre • Partnerships develop borough or district wide • County partnerships to promote a strategic dimension • National linked data sharing via National Business Information System

10. Partnership structure • Paid full/part-time manager (plus additional support) • Secure office accommodation • Offender target files and photographs for members • Access to police photographs • Appropriate IT facility to manage data • Exclusion notice & radio link schemes • Data protection protocols & documentation

11. How a Partnership Works Crime Trends and Target Offenders Identified -Intelligence Shared -Targets Excluded -Police Photos passed to Partners Partners Submit Intelligence Reports Results relayed back to partners Newsletters Police raise profile of targets via PNC and Force Intelligence system Evidence packs produced for Police and CJS. Liaison with CPS and courts Liaison with drug referral, YOTs, ASBO Unit. Information passed to Neighbouring schemes where relevant.

12. Community safety links COMMUNITY SAFETY LINKS TO BUSINESS CRIME STREET DRINKING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL EVENING ECONOMY ASBO s/ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR CHEQUE/CREDIT CARD FRAUD TOWN CENTRE YOUTH CRIME FORECOURT WATCH CORE STRATEGY CCTV SAFE CHILD ROBBERY RADIO LINKS D ATA S HARING POLICE PHOTOGRAPHS STREET BEGGING EXCLUSION NOTICES VIOLENCE SAFE & S ECURE CAR PARKS SAFER PUBLIC TRANSPORT TRUANCY WATCH CRIMINAL DAMAGE BUSINESS CRIME PARTNERSHIPS

13. Town Centre Management Railway Stations BT Police Trade Associations Chamber of Commerce Local Authority Bus Stations Voluntary Sector CORE STRATEGY CCTV / Radio Information and Photo Sharing Exclusion Notice Car Parks ASBO’s / POPO’s Petrol Stations PNC Markers Taxi Association Wanted on Warrant Hotel Association Drugs & Alcohol Action Teams Evening Economy Youth Offending Teams Courts Restorative Justice Teams Police IT facility to manage information sharing Magistrates CPS

14. Safer Business Award • Demonstrates that there is a strong and effective local partnership • Motivates businesses and town centre management to take ownership of crime solving • Reassures customers and staff • Recognises and rewards success • Makes a positive contribution to community safety • Improves relationships with policeand other agencies

15. Benefits for Business • Improves customer perceptions/reduces fear of crime • Improves footfall and sales • Improves business conditions • Less theft, loss and workplace disruption • Less violence, abuse and threats to staff • Improved staff retention • Cost-effective crime reduction

16. Benefits - police/community • Excellent display of practical partnership working • Emphasis on crime prevention and reduction and reducing the opportunity for crime to take place • Based on intelligence-led strategies • Assists in identifying travelling criminals • Deals with crime cost-effectively and professionally • Reduces physical and verbal abuse of staff • Provides police with intelligence data not • normally available to them - improves relationships with police • Establishes links to other types of crime e.g. drugs, burglary, robbery, car crime, fraud

17. How successful have we been? Eastbourne • Recorded retail crime down 25.7% Folkestone • 67% reduction in retail crime • Partnership has grown 300% Redcar • 100 Exclusion Notices issued, only 10 have re-offended once and only 3 have re-offended a second time Brighton • 250 “deter at door” incidents recorded Birmingham • Major fashion retailer saved annual membership on first day of joining scheme

18. The future • Create 250 inclusive business crime partnerships • Evening economy / leisure industry, transport, car parks, hotels, hospitals, industrial estates, business parks, airports • National Business Information System • Linked secure VPN - not connected to internet • DSL connection to partnerships • Police access via Police National Network • Retail access via DSL links • Other business sectors?

19. www.businesscrime.org.uk