POLICE in Teignmouth have been taking part in a national week of action in a bid to tackle business crime.

As part of Safer Business Action Week, officers spent Monday, November 10, talking with shopkeepers in both Bank and Wellington Street.

Co-ordinated by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), the aim of the week is to strengthen relationships between local policing teams and businesses and to together tackle retail crime, anti-social behaviour and other offences affecting businesses in communities.

In addition to engagement with shop owners and workers, other activity taking place during the week includes high visibility patrols incorporating hotspots, proactive arrest enquiries and targeted operations.

Assistant Chief Constable Glen Mayhew said: ‘We know how much business crime can affect those work within businesses in our communities.

‘By taking a collaborative and proactive approach, we can deploy resources to specific locations on patrol and directly target offenders.

‘Tackling this issue remains a priority for the force.’

This week also sees the launch of Devon, Cornwall & IOS Business Crime Reduction Partnership.

This partnership will allow businesses to collectively exclude prolific offenders, share information & intelligence between one another and take collective action against business crime in their community.

The aim is to reduce the fear of crime, work together to alert each other of risks and prevent crime and provide businesses/members with training, guidance and support.

Businesses can be affected by a wide variety of crimes from theft, burglary and cyber crime to abusive or violent behaviour directed at staff. The Safer Business Action event is all about partnership working, with the police, businesses, private security organisations, Business Crime Reduction Partnerships and Business Improvement Districts working together to reduce crime.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: ‘Retail crime, ASB and violence is being tackled by my office through the funding of a business crime reduction partnership linked directly to the police called UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC).

‘Following a successful pilot in Torquay with fantastic results, we are now funding it for 12 months in other areas including Saltash, Liskeard, Barnstaple and Teignmouth and will continue with its rollout across the peninsula over the next two years.

‘The launch of Devon, Cornwall & IOS BCRP will see that work continue and grow by combining collective local efforts to combat retail crime into one joined-up network. This will ensure intelligence and activities are widely shared in a timely manner.

‘The benefits will include being able to identify and track prolific offenders who offend across multiple areas.

‘My office is offering businesses a free 12-month subscription to the new BCRP when they become a member of UKPAC.

‘This allows businesses to experience the benefits of joined-up intelligence and partnership working with no cost and no obligation to continue after the trial period’.