Cheshire Police to join partners for Safer Action Business Action Week

Cheshire Police and partners are taking part in the national Safer Business Action Week to help tackle business and retail crime across local communities.

As part of the initiative, police and partners will be running Safer Business Action Days from 9 November to 15 November, visiting local retailers and other businesses to gain a better understanding of the challenges they face on a daily basis.

For the first time, four national campaigns are joining together for SaBA Week, with the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), Usdaw and Retail Trust working together to strengthen efforts to protect retail workers from violence, abuse and intimidation.

The aim is to deliver a focused operation involving joint patrols, targeted action against prolific offenders and a range of crime prevention activities, supported by the National Business Crime Centre, which coordinates SaBA Week.

In Cheshire officers will also be teaming up with the four local authorities to provide a range of activities throughout the week including drop-in sessions, interactive training sessions and community surgeries.

Officers will also be promoting ShopKind among the business community – this is an initiative by the NBCC which is backed by the Home Office and supported by major high street retailers as well as the nation’s independent shopkeepers, and the shopworkers union Usdaw. The aim of the campaign is to encourage positive behaviours in shops, acknowledge the important role of shopworkers and raise awareness about the scale and impact of violence and abuse against shopworkers.

Chief Inspector Dan Reynolds said:

“We’re continuing in our efforts to support our business communities by targeting prolific offenders, helping shops and their staff to prevent crime, and making sure it’s easy for them to report crime to us.

“As well as prevention and prosecuting offenders we also create long term solutions by using Criminal Behaviour Orders against the most prolific and problematic offenders. The message is we’re here for businesses and will do all we can to support you in preventing theft and prosecuting offenders, by working together with you.”

Supt Lisa Maslen, Lead of the National Business Crime Centre, said:

“Safer Business Action Week provides an important opportunity to highlight the challenges businesses face on a daily basis, while recognising the continued partnership work taking place across the country.

“The outcomes we have seen from these joint efforts demonstrate the positive impact of police, local authorities and the business community working together to reduce harm and make places safer for people to work and shop.”