Business crime
The Lambeth Business Against Crime (LBAC) Partnership takes best practice town centre security initiatives and establishes a sustainable membership scheme, with the ability to deliver proactive initiatives that curtail the activities of prolific and persistent offenders.
Business Watch - Lambeth Business Against Crime (LBAC)
The mission of LBAC is to enhance safety and liveability in Lambeth through police-community partnership. LBAC members share information and work together to reduce crime as the borough’s dedicated, formal and pro-active BCRP (Business Crime Reduction Partnership) between the business community, Police, Council, CCTV and other statutory agencies. LBAC’s dual track approach, with enforcement the bedrock combined with early activation of the support agencies, is a highly effective means of protecting businesses, staff and customers:
RadioSafetyNet
The partnership has a centrally managed communications network with personal security radios. Each handset is monitored, managed and recorded through a sophisticated computer system; a centrally managed intelligence-sharing network that delivers real-time information to members by radio to enable effective targeting of prolific and persistent offenders. There is a training package for new and existing members covering skills such as store security, radio usage and dealing with aggression.
National Business Information System (NBIS)
NBIS, together with strict protocols agreed with the Office of the Information Commissioner and an Information Sharing Protocol with Police, enables the gathering, collation and sharing of key information about offenders and the methods they use.
Exclusion Notice Scheme
Using an intelligence led approach to identify persistent offenders and those who are violent towards staff and customers the Exclusion Notice Scheme – Banned from One, Banned from All – is a powerful crime prevention method seeking to identify the 17% of offenders who commit 80% of the crime against business and exclude them from members premises. Breech of an Exclusion Notice is regarded by the Crown Prosecution Service as an act of anti-social behaviour.
National Safer Socialising Award
The purpose of the award is to encourage licensed premises to achieve higher standards of management and operation as a demonstration of their commitment to crime and disorder reduction and the prevention of anti-social behaviour. It rewards premises and businesses that can achieve the accreditation standards. By providing a complete “health-check” for businesses with respect to all the aims and objectives set down in the Licensing Act 2003, it provides positive value to each business. A mutual exchange of real benefit is achieved for those who live in, work in and visit the area covered by the partnership.
Safer Lambeth Business Award and Safe In Doors
This dual award and accreditation scheme has been developed as joint initiative between LBAC and the Metropolitan Police Serious and Organised Crime Group (MPS SCD-7) to offer an inclusive benefit to statutory agencies, the various business communities and the whole community of Lambeth.
The Safer Lambeth Business Award confirms that the business has in place a set of minimum measures for staff / customer personal safety and security. It is also specifically designed to prevent commercial / armed robbery and encourage businesses of all sizes to think actively about building safe and secure public spaces. Apart from a few clear essential standards the award is flexible and some small premises may qualify for funding for enhanced security measures.
Pre-assessment is carried out by LBAC with assessment made jointly by LBAC, Lambeth Community Safety and MPS Lambeth Borough Crime Prevention Officers.
Safe In Doors seeks to develop a safe havens program for all victims of crime and offers an official “sub-RAID” police accreditation. Under the scheme those gaining a Safer Lambeth Business Award and all those with a Silver or Gold National Safer Socialising Award can make a Safe In Doors accreditation application. After confirmation that the premise is suitable for use as a safe haven by the Safe In Doors Panel, the required cascaded staff training around armed robbery and victim support is provided.
Training
LBAC and MPS will, with the support of Safer Lambeth, take a lead on training and seek to engage local managers and staffs in an understanding that good security preparation is the best defence.
Key contacts
LBAC members can report incidents of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour using the dedicated hotline 0870 919 3674
Lambeth Business Against Crime
Tel: 0207 733 4825
Email: Stephen.govier@lbac.org.uk
Website: www.lbac.org.uk
Business Crime Reduction Partnership
Tel: 0207 733 4825