Keeping Brighton Safe: Why the Space Beyond Our Doors is Everyone's Business
The recent sentencing at Hove Crown Court this week, where three men were jailed for a total of over 60 years for a devastating attack on Brighton beach, is a stark reminder of what is at stake on our streets.
This tragic incident, which occurred in October, has rightfully gripped national attention. First and foremost, this is a human tragedy, and our thoughts remain with the survivor of this appalling crime. But it also forces us to have an honest conversation about safety, community, and the collective responsibility we share as a city.
Brighton’s night-time economy is vibrant and fun. Every weekend, hundreds of hospitality and security teams do an incredible job of keeping people safe. However, the industry nationally is facing tough times. Recent studies show that not feeling safe is one of the top three reasons people are choosing to stay home.
If people don't feel safe, they don't visit our city. When they stay home, our community, our culture, and our livelihoods suffer. Safeguarding isn't just a police duty; it is a collective moral and business imperative.
It is easy for a business to think that what happens on the street or the beach is outside their remit. But safety doesn't stop at the threshold of a doorway.
The court case revealed that the perpetrators in this case targeted their victim in the city centre before taking her to the seafront. Showing that this isn’t a “beach-safety issues” but a wider city issue. What happens on our doorsteps directly impacts how people feel about Brighton. If suspicious behavior or antisocial activity goes unchecked outside a venue, it tarnishes the reputation of the entire street.
That is why we must look beyond our venue doors. We must care about the spaces between our businesses, and we must stand together to protect them.
At the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP), we believe that the only way to effectively disrupt predatory and criminal behavior is through a united, intelligence-led network. We equip our members with the tools they need to act, report, and protect:
The NightSafe Radio Network: Direct, real-time communication linking venues, door staff, the police, and city CCTV. This allows venues to instantly coordinate, raise alerts, and flag suspicious behavior.
Assisting with police protocols: Our venues are trained to identify potential predatory behavior early and help police by using police protocols to alert officers on the ground of potential predatory behaviour. On the NightSafe radio, security teams can alert police to intervene, check details, and disrupt suspicious individuals before an offense can occur.
The DISC Intelligence Hub: A secure, member-only platform where venues log incident reports, share photos of individuals of concern, and stay updated on active safety alerts. This keeps the entire network informed of recurring behaviors across different weekends.
Vulnerability & Safety Training: Providing staff with the skills to spot vulnerability, handle suspected spiking, use "The Power of Hello" to deter predators, and ensure patrons have safe routes home.
Safeguarding is not an administrative chore or a regulatory burden. It’s the gold standard of customer service. When people feel safe, they return.
But this is also about looking out for the people who make our nightlife possible. Our staff deserve to come to work and feel entirely safe, both during their shifts and when they are heading home in the early hours of the morning. By watching each other's backs and sharing real-time information, we build a safety net for everyone working in our industry.
This is bigger than the police, bigger than the seafront, and bigger than any single venue. It takes all of us, working, communicating, and sharing as one city to crack this.
Join the Partnership
If you run a venue, bar, club, or late-night business in Brighton and are not yet part of the BCRP, we want to welcome you. For just £10 a week, your business gets access to the digital radio network, the DISC intelligence hub, and a community of well over 500 businesses dedicated to keeping our city safe.
Let's show predators the middle finger. Let's show up for each other, support our local businesses, and keep Brighton the safe, incredible city it deserves to be.