ACS

The Government has committed to introducing significant reforms to policing structures in England and Wales. The Government’s philosophy is to move decision making and power away from Westminster and into local communities. The Government intends to localise the issue of policing and crime by the introduction of Policing and Crime Commissioners and a number of local mechanism giving communities greater opportunity to engage with policing and crime issues in their area.

The Police are obliged to hold Beat meetings and will be held to account by the use of local data, reflecting their efficiency in tackling crime. Nationally set targets for crime prevention will be scrapped and the focus will be on locally set priorities.

This guidance aims to provide support on how best to engage with these new structures at the earliest stage of their introduction. The cuts to the policing budget and the changing Government philosophy means that retailers and their staff will have to take even more responsibility to ensure business crime issues are addressed by police in their area and their business and staff are protected.

For further information on this guidance please contact Edward Woodall, Public Affairs Executive: Edward.woodall@acs.org.uk or call 01252 515001.

Beat Meetings

Neighbourhood policing teams will have to hold regular beat meetings for the community and share local crime statistics. This will give the community the opportunity to raise concerns, engage with their neighbourhood policing teams and play an active role in their community.

Engagement with neigbourhood policing teams is important for maintaining a relationship with your local police and the community. Beat meeting will offer the opportunity for you to share your views with the police and for them to share crime statistics and intelligence on local issues.

Details of the next beat meeting to be held in your area can be found here.

Once you have entered your postcode or town, the section entitled "Get Involved – Your Next Meeting" will include details of the next beat meeting in your area.
 

Crime Mapping

From January 2011, we will give the public access to a minimum platform of information including street level crime data and maps and information on their neighbourhood policing team and their next beat meeting.

To support the localization of policing the Government have committed to introducing crime mapping, which was launched earlier this year. Crime mapping allows people in the community to view the different types of crimes that are committed in their area. The crime mapping at present does not include business crime, this is categorized under ‘other crime’. The Home Office is currently addressing how it can record and communicate business crime through crime maps without damaging businesses’ reputation and undermining confidentiality.

If you require a further break down of the business crime that has occurred in your area it is best to contact your local neighbourhood policing team. Details can be found here

You can view information on crimes that have happened in your area here 

 
Community Safety Partnerships

Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are made up of representatives from the police and police authority, the local council, and the fire, health and probation services. You can work with your CSP to highlight and tackle crimes that happen in your area.

The responsible authorities work together to develop and implement strategies to protect their local communities from crime and to help people feel safe. They work out local approaches to deal with issues including antisocial behaviour, drug or alcohol misuse and re-offending.

They also work with others who have a key role, including community groups and registered local landlords. There are currently 310 CSPs in England, and 22 in Wales.
 

You can find your local Community Safety Partnership here

Policing and Crime Panels

The PCC will be held to account by policing and crime panels that will be made up of 10 councilors, equally representing the area and two non-elected people from the community. The panel will hold the PCC to account on the commitments made in their manifesto.

The two independent members must be based in the force area but not in elected office and they may be experts in their field or bring relevant knowledge and expertise.

Retailers should consider putting themselves forward as a member of their PCP. This will give them the opportunity to raise concerns affecting their business and have further responsibilities to represent the community they live in. Details have not yet been released on how independent members will be nominated.

Alternatively, once legislation has been passed for the introduction of PCPs you can find details of local councilors that are included on the panels and discuss with them policing and crime issues that affect you and need to be addressed.
 

You can find out who your local councilors are and what Committees they are members of here 

Policing and Crime Commissioners

Policing and Crime Commissioners (PCC) will be elected representative who will campaign on the best ways to tackle crime in a policing authority. PCCs will be advocates for the public – striving to deliver the best service for communities in the most cost effective way. The election of the first PCCs will take place in May 2012.

As advocates of the communities views retailers must do their best to engage with PCCs. Retailers should do their best to engage with PCCs by writing to them and highlighting the issues that concern their business, you may wish to invite to your store.

Policing Authorities currently consult with local people on the crimes that should be addressed by the police in your community. Your police authority publishes an annual plan, based on consultation with local people, setting out the services your police force should deliver in the year ahead, and the targets it should achieve.

Details of your Police Authority can be found here