NE1's Newcastle Business Crime Reduction Partnership celebrates its second anniversary in April. Launched to support businesses and to tackle anti-social behaviour and low-level crime in Newcastle, the partnership is enjoying phenomenal success with a rapidly growing membership, numerous successful prosecutions and the prevention of countless crimes.
Mark Sumner, Operations Manager at NE1 Ltd, who spearheaded the launch of the Partnership and oversees its activities, reviews the last two years and reveals exciting plans for the future.
We first launched the Business Crime Reduction Partnership after an alarming survey showed that 90% of Newcastle businesses said they wouldn’t report minor shoplifting incidents and anti-social behaviour to the police. Many thought it took up too much time and they weren’t confident any action would be taken. The retail sector in particular said they felt vulnerable, with shops an easy target for shoplifters and nowhere to turn to for help.
NE1’s job is to support the city’s business community, so we knew we had to act. Our solution was to provide an easy and effective way to report crime and disorder and to encourage the police, the council and businesses to work together. We knew that by collaborating we could make Newcastle an even safer and more welcoming place for businesses, staff, visitors and the people of the city.
We have had two successful years and are delighted with the results achieved so far. Membership is growing and businesses are increasingly active within the Partnership.
We have become the eyes and ears on the streets of Newcastle, working together to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour, operating in much the same way as a neighbourhood watch scheme. Members are given access to an online forum to record incidents, share information and raise the alarm to help prevent crime in the city centre. As well as reporting into the system, members are alerted when known offenders are operating so they can be vigilant and help prevent incidents from happening.
Recruitment of new members was recently boosted by the appointment of a dedicated Business Crime Officer who joined NE1 at the end of 2023. Terry Brooks works alongside NE1’s team of Street Rangers, the police and partners to support businesses. A key part of Terry’s role is to promote the Partnership and encourage sign-ups. From 150 members in December 2023, we now have 227.
Through face-to-face meetings, Terry has been able to explain the benefits of the partnership and has enlisted new members including national operators like Greggs and Tesco as well as numerous independents and an increasing number of professional services companies and hospitality venues.
Last year, 1,040 incidents were reported. So far this year 475 have already been logged.
In addition to Terry’s appointment, NE1 has funded the recruitment of a new CCTV operative. This dedicated new ‘eyes in the sky’ role monitors the city’s CCTV cameras acting as a deterrent and raising the alarm, preventing crimes from being committed. The role is already delivering exceptional results.
By monitoring what is happening in the city in real time, the right resources can be deployed in a cost-efficient and timely way. If a known offender is spotted on CCTV businesses are alerted via radio so they can take the necessary actions to protect their business.
The CCTV monitoring has also given the Partnership crucial data to help draw up a heat map of at-risk hot spots and peak times for crimes. Using this knowledge, the Partnership works with the police to deploy resources when and where they are needed.
Following the ongoing success of the Partnership, we are now entering a new phase of collaboration between NE1, Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police with the launch of a new multi-agency working group.
A team of dedicated police officers, and community support officers will be assigned to the group to work alongside NE1 and its Street Rangers, together with the Council’s community safety team, pooling resources to make Newcastle a safer and better city. Operating out of a shared city centre office, the new working group will identify and address issues affecting the city centre. Daily briefings will be held to understand the priorities and plan how to tackle on-street issues like crime, anti-social and nuisance behaviour, begging, and other disorder problems.
This new initiative will be launched in mid-April and we are looking forward to this new era of joint working and closer collaboration.
The Business Crime Reduction Partnership will play a crucial role in this new working group, providing data to shape its efforts.
People will soon see the difference this new working group will make with more visible street patrols, and a whole team dedicated and solely responsible for city centre issues.
We at NE1 have played a huge part in bringing this team together. We are confident that our efforts will continue improving the city landscape, reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, and making the city a more appealing, engaging and safe space.
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