Business owners come together in Nottinghamshire to help combat retail crime

Retailers from across the country joined in the discussion with Caroline Henry, police and crime commissioner, and Chief Superintendent Suk Verma, of Nottinghamshire Police.

Mrs Henry invited the National Business Crime Centre to hold a Safer Business Action Day in the county after seeing representatives give a presentation at a business crime event held by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners earlier this year.

Nottinghamshire was one of three areas selected by the National Business Crime Centre to hold a SaBA day of action this year, with the days focusing on raising awareness and understanding of the types of crimes that affect businesses, including retail crime.

Part of the day saw prolific shoplifters known to the police being visited and directed to attend a “problem-solving drop-in hub”, where they were able to speak with support agencies to help divert them away from future offending.

A number of different support schemes were highlighted at the hub, including the Offender to Rehab project, which is partially funded by Mrs Henry’s office and targets helping shoplifters with drug addiction problems turn their lives around.

Mrs Henry said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. Not only does it impact on hard-working shopkeepers and business owners but it also affects customers who ultimately pay the price in higher costs.

“The fact the SaBA day is being held here shows just how seriously we take this type of crime and it gives us a great opportunity to showcase to the public all of the work that police and partners are doing to tackle the issue locally.”

The SaBA event also saw police officers provide a visible presence throughout the day, carrying out patrols and other operations in a bid to deter criminals and engage with shops and businesses in the area.

In addition to the patrols, officers from Nottinghamshire Police’s prevention team visited local businesses to conduct crime prevention assessments, to help retailers understand how to best protect their properties.