Business Crime Forum

Posted at 17:05 on 12th January 2024 in Events

People are sat at a meeting. They have laptops in front of them.

PCC Mark Shelford has coordinated the latest Business Crime Forum – the first meeting since the last session and awayday which took place in the region last October.

The Business Crime Forum is coordinated by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. It is a platform to discuss policing issues affecting businesses and is made up of retailers and members of the business community. It also brings together partner organisations including council representatives, Avon and Somerset Police, Business Improvement District (BID) teams and Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs).

The January session included follow up discussions on key issues affecting businesses and retailers across Avon and Somerset. Topics covered were shoplifting, anti social behaviour and assaults against staff and cyber-crime resilience.

Throughout 2024 the forum will be focusing on generating pragmatic solutions and identifying practical steps to overcome problems faced.

For example, proposals put forward from the awayday in October included the creation of a location-based toolbox which could address specific needs for different areas for example in rural areas, cities and towns and ideas around a mobile app to facilitate incident reporting.

Reporting continues to be a high priority topic and PCC Shelford is emphasising its importance to the business community. All crimes should be reported so the true picture of where crime is taking place is understood and perpetrators can be identified.