Safer Business Action Week – Hertsmere

Officers across Hertsmere joined forces with local partners for a national week of action to help tackle business and retail crime.

Safer Business Action Week, an initiative run by the National Business Crime Centre, saw police and partners visit retailers and other businesses to understand more about the issues they are facing.

Engagement events and targeted patrols were also carried out during the week, to provide a visible presence and pass on crime prevention advice.

Borehamwood

• The Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) were at Tesco Extra in Shenley Road on Monday and at 96 Shenley Road on Wednesday, offering fraud and crime prevention advice. They also signed shoppers up to the Herts Connected community messaging system.
  
  
• On Saturday, the team were out and about in Shenley Road, engaging with retailers and signing them up to Shop Watch - a scheme which allows businesses to quickly share information with police and other retailers about potential criminals operating in the area. They also passed on crime prevention advice and discussed any issues.
  
  
• Officers held a joint operation with staff from Elstree and Borehamwood train station on Wednesday evening. They visited local shops to pass on advice and reassurance, following reports that young people were committing anti-social behaviour and thefts in the area, before using the railway network to make an escape, evading fares in the process.

Bushey

• The NPT were joined by Community Enforcement Officers from the Hertsmere Community Safety Partnership for an engagement event outside Morrisons. Crime prevention advice was given, and local issues were discussed.

Potters Bar

• A meeting was held with retail managers to discuss the common issues they are facing and how police can assist.
  
  
• The NPT were once again joined by Civil Enforcement Officers for a partnership event outside Superdrug in Darkes Lane on Monday. They visited local retailers to discuss any issues and sign them up to the Shop Watch scheme. The partnership then visited retailers in the High Street the following day.
  
  
• On Wednesday, officers joined staff from Nationwide in Darkes Lane for a crime prevention event around fraud and scams. During the evening, they then conducted a joint engagement event at the train station alongside colleagues from British Transport Police.
  
  
• A test purchasing operation was carried out at local shops to ensure that underage sales weren’t taking place. Officers were assisted by the Hertsmere Volunteer Police Cadets during the operation and all 13 shops visited passed.
  
  
• An engagement event was held outside Tesco Express in Shenley on Sunday (20 October). The event helped to provide a visible presence to deter crime and was an opportunity to pass on crime prevention advice to shoppers and sign them up to Herts Connected.
  
  
• Three people were charged in connection with shoplifting offences during the week, as a result of targeted enforcement.

Hertsmere Chief Inspector Ashleigh Hair said: “This annual week of action is an opportunity to shine a light on the issues that businesses face on a daily basis.

“It’s also a chance to highlight the work that police and local partners do all year round, to try and tackle these issues.

“We understand the impact that crime has and we’re committed to working with businesses to help reduce offences.”