On the road this Safer Business Action Week

Safer Business Action Week, co-ordinated by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), runs from the 14th to 20th of October and aims to raise awareness of business crime across the UK. At Central Co-op, our Loss Prevention Team has been actively involved, engaging with local communities, law enforcement and partners to promote safer shopping and work environments.

Throughout the week, our team has been on the road, visiting stores across the country to ensure safety is at the forefront of everything we do.

On Tuesday, Loss Prevention Advisors, Nicola Walton and Natasha Rook attended an event at The Quad in Derby, hosted by the Derbyshire Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP). There, they met with the Derbyshire Retail Crime Unit to discuss strategies for crime prevention and reducing anti-social behaviour. This session focused on making Derbyshire a safer place to work and shop. Following the event, Nicola and Tasha met with the Safer Neighbourhoods Team at our Chellaston store to talk with Store Manager Tony Nicholls about the impact of local crime on the community.

The team visited our Littlemoor store on Thursday alongside Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiwini-Roberts and the Safer Neighbourhood Team. Colleagues shared their experiences regarding the impact of crime in the store and discussed the priorities from Nicolle’s Police and Crime Plan.

Later in the week, the team was at our Narborough Rd store in Leicester, where the police conducted beat surgeries to address theft incidents. In Atherstone, PCSO Scott visited our Long Street store, sharing crime prevention advice with local businesses.

On Tuesday, Loss Prevention Advisor, Stacey Newson visited stores in Birmingham with Ryan Talwar from our guarding partners, Advantage 1, to explore how we can better support colleagues. Additionally, Sophie visited our London Road store with Danielle Stone, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire, and her deputy, Marianne. They discussed how recent reporting activities at our Kettering & Corby stores have led to several custodial sentences, but also raised concerns about what happens after offenders are released.

Thursday’s round table, attended by Loss Prevention Advisor, Sophie Grove and hosted by Danielle, provided a platform to discuss Offender to Recovery programs and the prevention of youth crime. Discussions included inviting Stuart Toogood from West Midlands Police’s “Offender To Rehab” programme to replicate successful recovery programs and organise beat surgeries at our stores.

 To wrap up the week, Ruppert Matthews, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire, visited our Launceston Road store, hosted by Nicola and the store team, further solidifying our commitment to safer communities.

Safer Business Action Week has provided a valuable opportunity for our team to collaborate with key partners and law enforcement across the Midlands and beyond. Our mission remains clear: to work alongside local communities and authorities, continuously striving to create a safer shopping environment for everyone.

Together, we're making a difference.