Safer Business Action Week – Stevenage

As part of Safer Business Action Week, officers from the Stevenage Neighbourhood Policing Team are continuing their work to prevent and reduce business related crime in the town with a focus on shoplifting.

The week runs from Monday 14 – Friday 18 October and is an initiative led by the National Business Crime Centre.

It provides a focus on the issues that local businesses face and encourages collaboration work to develop long-term solutions.

Local neighbourhood officers are joining colleagues from the police response teams, the Stevenage Community Safety Unit, Stevenage Borough Council and the Fire Service to promote the initiative.

Over the course of the week, they will be conducting additional patrols in the town centre, at the leisure park and the Roaring Meg retail park, to talk to businesses about their concerns, give safety advice and complete surveys.

They are also visiting numerous business premises to offer advice around reporting crime - in particular shoplifting - and carry out crime prevention checks, as well as distributing crime prevention e-packages to many other local businesses.

Alongside this, officers will also promote Herts Connected - the constabulary’s free community messaging service, which allows businesses to receive alerts about local crimes, as well as advice on how to prevent themselves from becoming a target.

PC Lukas Haase who helped to co-ordinate the week- long activity said: “Business crime is not victimless. Offences against businesses can take a variety of forms and have a real impact on both individuals and communities.

“However, those committing crimes and anti-social behaviour in and around businesses can face a wide range of consequences, including arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment, as well as banning orders and civil sanctions. We will continue to  work closely with our partners to maximise the safety of businesses, their staff and customers.

“This week provides an additional opportunity to speak to the business community and extend our efforts to tackle crime affecting them.”

Neighbourhood Inspector Sarah Jones added: “I hope this week of action has re-enforced the message that we take all crime against local business seriously and we are committed to identifying offenders and helping prevent offences occurring.

“We understand the impact crime can have on our local businesses and I we want to make sure that businesses are doing all they can to prevent themselves from becoming a target.”