(L-R): Steve Wegerif, Bill Cullen, Ian Daniels, Lord Willy Bach, Rosemary Wright, Insp Dan Eveleigh, PC Clive Clarke
Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach met with business leaders and council chiefs in Hinckley to identify opportunities to crack down on low level crime in the town.
The PCC and local police met representatives from Hinckley’s Business Improvement District (BID) and Bill Cullen, Chief Executive of Hinckley and Bosworth District Council, this week to discuss retail crime such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
Hinckley BID had raised concerns to the PCC about shoplifting in the area and the level of police resources available to tackle the problem as a result of which the Commissioner proposed a meeting.
During the meeting, the PCC discussed the importance of prevention among retailers and taking steps to reduce the opportunity for thieves to steal goods with increased security and relocating high-value product displays.
Speaking after the meeting, Willy Bach said: “Low level crime such as shoplifting has a financial impact on local retailers and increases the fear of crime in general. Our local policing teams work closely with local businesses to build up a strong intelligence picture and carry out proactive enforcement.
“Pleasingly, recent figures show a reduction in shoplifting in the Hinckley area which is due to the proactive work undertaken by local officers. However, we know that not all incidents of shoplifting are reported to the police and we would encourage shopkeepers to continue to report offences to enable local police to respond effectively so that we can gauge the true extent of the problem.
“With the economic outlook still bleak, it’s critical we continue to work with our partners to tackle issues jointly. On a day-to-day basis, we have to prioritise our resources based on threat, harm and risk, taking into account the 20% cut in funding imposed upon the force over recent years. Obviously officers cannot be deployed to incidents that have not been reported to us, while recent experience shows that offenders are more likely to be picked up after the event than when on the premises.
“However, I was pleased to see how the force is working in partnership with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and the Business Improvement District (BID) to deal with thefts and ASB issues in the town, which has resulted in increased presence and engagement in the area.
“We are very keen to build on this relationship and continue to address issues of security and prevention.”
The force has recently signed up to Facewatch to help businesses report crimes using an online reporting tool allowing them to upload their own CCTV footage.
The form takes around 20 minutes to complete and creates an electronic crime report which is automatically sent to the force and passed on to investigators.
All businesses, from larger stores to smaller shops, are being encouraged to sign-up to the online scheme. Further information can be found on www.leics.police.uk
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Media Enquiries: Sallie Blair - 01283 821012 / 07702 541401
Posted on Monday 23rd January 2017