Liverpool crime initiative receives national accreditation

Designed to make city centres safer for businesses and employees, there are over 250 Business Crime Reduction Partnerships in the UK. In Liverpool, the BID Safety Partnership sees Liverpool BID Company working alongside Merseyside Police, Liverpool Nightlife CIC and Liverpool City Council to help keep the city safe.

The national standards accreditation provides a benchmark of achievement and success, helping to give reassurance to businesses, police and other stakeholders that the partnership is working and provides good value for money.

Maxine Fraser, the Managing Director of Retailers Against Crime CIC, said: “Congratulations to Liverpool BID who have achieved the national standard for BCRP accreditation. They are an outstanding example of working in partnership and engaging with their businesses daily going above and beyond what is expected, in particular through their exemplary working relationship with Merseyside Police. They are an excellent partnership leading the way on innovation and best practice”.

Shaun Holland, Director of Operations at Liverpool BID Company, said: ““A vibrant and successful city centre is reliant on safety and partners working together. When it works well, it should be an almost invisible layer of infrastructure that helps businesses across every sector to thrive, for those moving around the city centre to feel secure and to enjoy their day. It means that as well as being preventative, working in partnership we are able to respond rapidly to provide support as fast as we can. This national accreditation is the result of many years of collaborative working and trust building between partners”.

Michael Brooke from Police CPI said: “Gaining accreditation is a significant challenge for crime reduction partnerships and I congratulate the achievements of the Liverpool BID for their work in creating safer areas for customers and staff, whilst also improving the commercial prospects for companies operating there. I look forward to seeing how they continue to develop this over the coming years”.

Liverpool BID

In Liverpool, the BID Safety Partnership includes two full time Merseyside Police officers who provide BID Levy Payers with a direct response to non-emergency enquiries about safety, anti-social behaviour and security issues seven days a week.

The BID Radio Link Network has over 180 active businesses to provide reassurance and intelligence sharing, operating 24 hours a day, using high-quality digital radios that have access to the main city channel.

The DISC Intelligence Sharing Platform allows intelligence sharing across businesses in the city centre for both daytime and nighttime economy businesses. There are intelligence sharing briefings, which discuss safety issues across the BID and a City Watch officer is funded by the BID to monitor the Radio Link network on Thursdays during retail hours, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Find out more about Liverpool BID here.

Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) accreditation

The accreditation process is based on a set of standards owned by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC).

The standards include good management practices and procedures such as membership agreements, data security and compliance with current legislation. It includes having robust information for members and partner organisations that is up to date as well as making it easily accessible 24/7. For some BCRPs, the standards will include the use of CCTV and radio links with members.

The aim is to recognise good practice and professionalism to ensure BCRPs are functioning in an ethical manner and within the law, specifically checks to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

It is expected that accreditation will enhance the level of partnership working nationally and encourage continued, significant, national business investment in BCRPs. In addition, the intention is that it will provide reassurance to Police Forces that data shared with BCRP partner organisations will be utilised in a responsible manner to reduce criminal activity.

Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), who run the Secured by Design initiative, is the accreditation body for BCRPs. The accreditation process is based on a set of standards owned by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC).

Find out more about the BCRP National Standards here.