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Safer Business Action Week takes place each year to deliver a nationally coordinated range of crime prevention activities and raise awareness of the impact of crime and anti-social behaviour in retail settings. It provides an opportunity for Business Reduction Partnerships, Business Improvement Districts and the private security industry to collaborate with local police forces to identify and catch prolific offenders who cause the greatest harm to businesses and staff. 

To mark the start of the week of action, APCC Joint Business and Retail Crime Leads, Katy Bourne OBE and Andy Dunbobbin, said:

"This year, Safer Business Action Week is more important than ever before. After witnessing the impact of violence and disorder this summer on businesses, independent retailers and high streets, it is vital that we highlight the critical role that businesses play in our local communities through employment, services and leisure.

"PCCs, PFCCs and Deputy Mayors play an important role in tackling business and retail crime, ensuring that shop workers and business owners feel safe in their workplace and customers are not witnesses to, or even subjected to, violence and crime in stores. We work closely with our local business community to address barriers such as ease of reporting, sharing of vital evidence and the police response. We also fund interventions to tackle the root causes of this crime and services to ensure victims get the right support to cope and recover.

"At a national level, we are working closely with retailers and policing through our Pegasus/OPAL partnership to make significant improvements in both understanding and tackling retail crime.  Using advanced technology and standing up specialist police resources, we are now mapping and targeting organised retail crime groups more effectively than ever before. 

"We want to retain our high streets and shops as pleasant and safe places to work, shop and visit and this week provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the important work being undertaken by policing and partners to achieve this."

Notes

• Katy Bourne is APCC Joint Lead for Business and Retail Crime, and Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex
• Andy Dunbobbin is APCC Joint Lead for Business and Retail Crime, and Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales
• More information about Safer Business Action Week can be found here