The Derbyshire Business Against Crime, which commenced in 2003, is an innovative partnership project that aims to reduce business crime and the fear of crime. An ‘Evaluation of the Effects of Crime Against Business in Derbyshire’ report was commissioned in autumn ’04 from FOCUS consultants by the Derbyshire Business Against Crime team.

The report identified that:

• Only 1 in 5 businesses are currently part of a crime prevention scheme
• Less than 1 in 3 businesses have received any formal crime prevention advice
• 7 out of 10 businesses would be prepared to invest in crime prevention if financial assistance was made available

The project is unique in the Country in that, due to the pioneering strategic links between our region’s police and the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA); it is funded externally by a Regional Development Agency and administered by Derbyshire Constabulary. To date EMDA have provided approx £1.1 million for this scheme.

The project comprises a team of four Business Crime Prevention Advisors (one on each BCU), an administrator and is managed by the force CRO. The team is dedicated entirely to tackling business crime and provides comprehensive crime prevention advice and information, free of charge, to businesses in the county.

To fulfil this role the team has developed close working relationships with representatives from the business community and their representative bodies, such as The Chamber of Commerce and The Federation Of Small Businesses. Primarily, they provide bespoke advice to businesses, conduct comprehensive crime reduction surveys and producing detailed reports of recommendations. However the team also has access to funding, which provides grant assistance for businesses to implement crime reduction measures, as well as sign posting to other funding streams.

The first round of grants administered by the team have benefited over 100 businesses and totalled £150,000. This in turn has attracted match funding from the businesses themselves totalling £250,000. The second round of grants totalling £200,000 is forecast to lever in £800,000 from the businesses.

The work of the team has included other activity e.g.

• A Ringmaster system servicing 3,000 local businesses
• The provision of crime reduction and personal safety training for staff
• The delivery of 4 business crime reduction seminars across the county
• A compendium of business crime prevention advice included within www.saferderbyshire.gov.uk:
• The creation of a county wide Business Crime Forum, comprising local business leaders and Police representatives
• The provision of Business Crime ‘Tool Kits’ to over 900 businesses, simple crime reduction products provided free of charge
• The provision of Smartwater property marking to 1,000 businesses

Since Jan ’05, the team have made direct contact with over 3,000 businesses throughout Derbyshire, with over 1,500 individual surveys conducted at business premises.

A later independent analysis of the cost benefit of the project by Johnson Tidsall Accountants showed that for an initial investment of £324,000, the saving to local companies was £4.8m in reduced crime (6200 less crimes).

This project has now been recognised as ‘best practice‘ by the Home office.

For further information please contact your local business crime advisors on :

Derbyshire Constabulary Crime Reduction Manager:
Insp Stephen Fairbrother - Police HQ (Ripley)
Tel: 01773 572223 
email:stephen.fairbrother.1606@derbyshire.pnn.police.uk

Police A Division (Amber Valley & Erewash):
Ian Brailsford
Tel: 07841 948556
email: ian.brailsford@derbyshire.org

Police B Division (High Peak & Derbys Dales)
John Davenport
Tel: 07841 948553 
email: john.davenport@derbyshire.org

Police C Division (Chesterfield, Bolsover, NE Derbys)
Richard Burgess
Tel: 07841 948558
email: richard.burgess@derbyshire.org

Police D Division (Derby & Southern Derbys)
Ian Hinds
Tel: 07841 948548 
email: ian.hinds@derbyshire.org