PCC Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts’ support for Safer Business Action Week

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts met business owners, retailers and key partners across Derbyshire to hear directly about the impact of crime and anti-social behaviour on local livelihoods and national retailers.

The Derbyshire PCC undertook an action-packed programme of visits to mark Safer Business Action (SaBA) Week and highlight the important partnership work underway to protect businesses, retailers and their staff from crime. 

The annual awareness week, which ran from October 14th to 18th, is organised by the National Business Crime Centre and is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the issues impacting businesses and the retail sector and the innovative ways these problems are being addressed. 

The PCC visited Safer Business Action Day events in locations across the county including Derby, Matlock, Glossop and Chesterfield to meet business owners, managers and staff and listen to their concerns around shoplifting, violence and abuse against retail workers and, in some cases, targeted criminality from organised groups. She also discussed the value she invests in partnership working with the business community to improve safety and ensure more perpetrators of business crimes are brought to justice. 

Since the force launched the Derbyshire Retail Crime Team in March this year, shoplifting detection rates have risen from 12 per cent to 30 per cent. 

The team was established to review all shoplifting occurrences and initiate investigations by liaising with stores to collate evidence and contacting local policing teams where suspects are identified.  

Working alongside the Derbyshire Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP), the team has been instrumental in promoting the sharing of information, intelligence and crime reports, thus improving the ability to spot criminal patterns, identify offenders and support communities. 

In other progress, the roll out of additional hotspot policing patrols across 20 key locations in the city and county through Operation Shango has seen ASB incidents fall across the areas by 20 per cent. An extra 6,512 patrols in 20 communities have taken place since last July, with 99 per cent of the engagement activity undertaken by patrol officers being deemed positive. The work has resulted in multiple arrests, dispersals, crime intelligence reports and intelligence items. 

The Commissioner has also joined the Board of the East Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre, which helps small and medium sized businesses to be more resilient against online crime. Members benefit from a free cyber health assessment, access to up-to-date scam alerts, support and affordable services from trained specialists. 

During her visits, the PCC made it clear to retailers, business owners and their staff that fighting business crime is an all-year-round issue in Derbyshire and that she plans to continue responding to problems collectively, with retailers and business owners and criminal justice partners working as one team to improve safety. 

She said: “I have spent several months listening to businesses and retailers about the issues that threaten their livelihoods and the safety of their employees.  I know how damaging and challenging these problems are on productivity and morale and the fear they cause staff who deserve to feel safe and protected at work. It is unacceptable and I will continue to work with all partners, including retailers themselves, to provide the robust and effective response they deserve. 

“Collaboration is pivotal to everything I do in this role and only by working together do I believe we can build the safe, strong and connected communities we strive for. I really value the relationship my office has with local businesses and our wider partners, and I am determined to strengthen these relationships in the future. 

“We all want to feel safe in our communities - and online – and businesses are no exception. Our business community here in Derbyshire contributes to the health and wealth of our economy and its people. I believe everyone should feel safe no matter where they live or work, and I will continue to listen and learn from the experiences of our business community and develop meaningful solutions that protect these businesses now and in the future.”

The PCC is currently drafting her Police and Crime Plan 2024-29 and has promised to put the people’s priorities front and centre of her action plan for improvement. 

In what has been the biggest response to a survey of its kind in Derbyshire, more than 3,300 residents and businesses contributed to her first consultation in Office. 

While the detail is yet to be finalised, the PCC is determined to put the needs of businesses high on her agenda.  She is committed to focusing on improving the reporting of incidents through improved technology; increasing police visibility in communities; reducing the harm caused by all forms of cybercrime and tackling drug dealing and alcohol use to make Derbyshire a more attractive place for businesses to flourish.  In addition, she is clear that business crime is not a victimless crime and her plans will therefore include appropriate support for those affected.