Operations Manager at NE1 Ltd, Mark Sumner talks about the new Business Crime Reduction Partnership in Newcastle city centre and what it hopes to achieve.
Newcastle is a safe city, but like any modern city it has its challenges. Issues like anti-social behaviour, retail theft and petty crime affect businesses, residents, and the wider public. Thankfully, they are mostly minor inconveniences and do not significantly disrupt city life or hamper business, but in Newcastle, we currently do not have facts and figures on the scale of the problem because many businesses don’t report these incidents to the Police.
A survey conducted among NE1 businesses earlier this year found that the majority of respondents do not report minor incidents because they feel the process takes too long and few had any confidence that something would be done.
We also know that our team of NE1 Street Rangers are working hard to keep the streets of the city safe. They do a stellar job working with the police to be the eyes and ears on the streets. All these efforts are done without a clear and accurate picture of the scale of the problem. No concrete data exists of where the major problems lie, how extensive they are, and what resources are needed to tackle the issues.
NE1 has now devised a plan to address this situation. Launching the NE1 Business Crime Reduction Partnership, we hope to encourage businesses to report incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. Businesses will be encouraged to sign up to the platform, which will operate as a neighbourhood watch style initiative, where they can log in and report crimes or episodes of anti-social behaviour, however small. The new partnership will help NE1 and the police to record incidents, identify recurring issues and map where the problems are happening.
Being able to quickly report cases will give businesses a voice and will, in turn, allow the new partnership to gather accurate and timely data, which will help us to channel resources into tackling the problems and identifying what can be done to resolve the issues causing them.
Collating the information is the first step, the partnership can then determine the extent of the problem and work with the police to allocate resources to tackle these issues. Similar initiatives operate successfully around the UK, and we are confident that the scheme will work well in Newcastle and will benefit our businesses and the wider community.
We are launching the new Business Crime Reduction Partnership this spring, and are working closely with the business community, Northumbria Police, and Newcastle City Council to get it off the ground.
Businesses across the city are being invited to join the partnership which will be free for all NE1 levy-paying businesses, and available for companies outside the NE1 postcode area to join for a small annual fee. Operating through an online platform, the partnership will provide access to a members’ forum to record incidents, share information, and raise alerts to help prevent and reduce crime in the city centre, as well as improving safety for businesses, staff, and visitors.
In addition to logging incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour, businesses will also be able to review information on offenders operating in the city centre and keep abreast of criminal trends and activity. The platform will alert businesses to the presence of offenders in the city before they go into shops, or leisure venues, and enable these businesses to manage the risk appropriately.
Members will all agree to be bound by data protection rules relating to data sharing, how the information can be used, and access to the platform.
We believe that the new business crime reduction partnership will provide crucial information and will help to make Newcastle an even safer place as we constantly strive to improve. It is a major step forward in the support we offer our businesses in the city centre, and one we know will be of huge benefit to our members. By tackling crime and improving safety for visitors and staff, business losses will be prevented, and Newcastle will be a safer, more welcoming, and prosperous environment for everyone to enjoy.
We have enlisted the help of a national business crime management company, NBCS, to help set up and operate the Business Crime Reduction Partnership. We have been delighted by the response to the Partnership so far, with some of the city’s key businesses, including many of the major high street brands, on board, and interested in joining the steering group. Together we will run the partnership, decide its priorities and work alongside the Police, and the City Council. We are confident that together we can reduce crime and disorder in Newcastle city centre and with business support these changes can be made quickly, effectively, and cost efficiently.
