Business Crime Partnership recognised nationally

2 October 2013

The Harrogate District Businesses Against Crime (HDBAC) Partnership has been recognised for the work that it has done to tackle crime in the retail sector.

At the recent National Partnership Achievement Awards in Milton Keynes Harrogate Borough Council’s Community Safety & CCTV Manager Julia Stack accepted the runner up award on behalf of the Harrogate District from Mark Rowe of Professional Security Magazine– Investing in Technology to Fight Retail Crime

Julia Stack recognised the amount of work that had gone into developing the schemes in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

Julia added:

Receiving the national runner up award was a huge surprise and we are delighted that the work we are doing locally has had national recognition.

The submission was commended for its use of technology linking the council’s CCTV control room and radio users. It also recognised the creative way in which training is provided to radio users. This innovation was undertaken using the council’s IT infrastructure and expertise from Apex Radio Systems Ltd.

The Artful Dodger training involves having a plain clothes officer pretending to be a criminal within an area and to see what actions staff in the shops take via their radio to share information between other radio users and the CCTV control room.

Chris Chelton Radiolink Coordinator says these practical sessions are hugely beneficial.

Chris said:

They give everyone an opportunity to speak on the radio, practise their radio terminology and share intelligence with other radio users.

The runner up award beat off competition from other much larger shopping centres including Blue Water in Essex.

Although the area remains a low crime area the Partnership remains vigilant and, through sharing intelligence from across the region, is able to recognise travelling criminals and their crime methods and inform the membership to keep crime and specifically retail crime down.

If your business is interested in joining the Radiolink scheme please contact Chris Chelton on 01423 556987 or email chris.chelton@harrogate.gov.uk

Picture shows Chris Chelton Radiolink Coordinator (centre) with partners Apex Radio Systems Ltd

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