Guide for the Management of Business Crime

The National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) has produced a guide for the Management of Business Crime.

The aim of this guide is to provide a single point of reference for business crime reduction by helping business to understand areas of best practice when managing business crime incidents. The NBCS highlights areas of good practice to help drive national consistency by improving the application of investigations and the continuity of evidence for both criminal and civil proceedings.

The guidance has chapters on crime incident management, managing and dealing with vulnerable offenders, reporting crime to police, civil investigations, civil recovery, working with Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs) and Business Improvement Districts (BIDS), and internal theft, fraud prevention and HR screening.

You can download the guidance booklet here.

The NBCS is a not-for-profit initiative that works with the police and the business community to help tackle business crime. If you have any queries regarding this guide you can contact the scheme by email enquiries@nationalbusinesscrimesolution.com or visit their website here.

Two women injured after car hits them

Two women suffered minor injuries after being hit by a car outside Buddies restaurant on the seafront in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The car, reported to be a black Audi, hit the two women and then crashed into a taxi and another vehicle which were both parked on the seafront.

The incident was quickly reported to police by staff at Buddies, and reported over the BCRP radio network. Security personnel caught up with the suspect vehicle and detained the driver until officers arrived on scene.

According to a witness, one of the women was pulled underneath the wheels of the Audi but luckily she is only reported to have sustained minor injuries.

A spokesman from Sussex Police said "At 3.45am on Saturday (16 February) two women from Chester on a visit to Brighton were on foot at the junction of the city’s A259 Kings Road and Middle Street when they and an Audi A4 car were in collision.

“The Audi had first been in collision with a white Vauxhall Vivaro taxi and then struck a parked Vauxhall Mokka.

“The women, aged 24 and 25, sustained minor injuries for which they were treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. Neither was detained.

“No other injuries were reported. A 19-year-old man from Birmingham was arrested on suspicion of drug-driving and later released under investigation."

Police have launched an appeal for anyone who may have further information or possible video footage of the accident. You can report online or by calling 101, quoting serial 183 of 16/02.

Sussex police wish to speak to this man in connection with fraud

Sussex Police have circulated images of a man they wish to speak to in connection with a fraud at a Brighton cash machine.

It is alleged that £500 was fraudulently withdrawn over 4 separate transactions at approximately 2.15am on Sunday, January 27th.

The offences took place at the cash machine at the Sainsbury's ATM in Old Steine.

If you recognise the man in the images or if you any other information about the offence, please contact the police online, or call 101 and quote serial 1412 of 30/01.

Urgent appeal after women aggressively confronted by two youths in Brighton

Sussex Police have issued an appeal for information after three women were confronted by two youths in potentially violent situations in Brighton.

The alleged incidents both took place on Tuesday 12th of February in the city centre at approximately 3pm.

The first incident took place in Regent Hill (near Western Road). A woman's path was blocked by two youths on a black and white moped. Whilst no direct threat is thought to have been made, one of the youths is alleged to have produced a hammer.

The woman was allowed to continue on her way.

The moped was found by Sussex Police some time later and it is believed to have been recently stolen.

The second incident happened around 15 minutes later where two youths, believed to be the same suspects, entered Costa Coffee in an aggressive search for two young women who had sought refuge there.

The youths left and the women were not harmed.

The youths were wearing tracksuits and, whilst on the moped, they were wearing distinctive black and neon yellow crash helmets.

Detective Sergeant Chris Lane said: "It's vital we speak to the three women involved in these incidents and we'd ask them to get in touch without delay. We'd also welcome calls from anyone who witnessed either of these incidents or who have other relevant information."

If you have any information please contact the police online, or call 101 and quote serial 757 of 12/02. If you wish to report your information anonymously please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers or telephone them on 0800 555 111.

Bravery award for the Sussex Business Wardens

The Sussex Business Wardens have been awarded for their bravery in helping to save a man's life after his bike collided with a car last year.

 On 27th June at 17:55 2018 the Sussex Business Wardens were on patrol by Palmeria Square when they witnessed an accident between a cyclist and a car which was stationary at a crossing.

 The Business Wardens acted quickly and whilst one of the wardens leapt out of the security car to divert traffic away, the other two wardens grabbed their first aid bags to offer preliminary aid to the cyclist who had suffered a serious injury.

 The quick thinking and bravery of the three wardens undoubtedly saved the man's life and on Friday 8th of February 2019 they were commended by Sussex Police at the annual divisional award ceremony.

 The Business Wardens were among police officers, staff, volunteers and members of the public who received awards and congratulations for their courage, bravery, exceptional investigative skills and dedication to providing a public service in the city. The award ceremony took place at the British Airways i360 in Brighton and were presented by Chief Superintendent Lisa Bell in the presence of the High Sheriff of East Sussex Major General John Moore-Bick and Brighton and Hove City Mayor Dee Simson.

 Chief Supt Bell said: "I see the dedication, professionalism and courage with which Brighton and Hove officers and staff police the city on a daily basis.

 "This was a chance to see the breadth of policing and active citizenship across the city and recognise those who have gone above and beyond what is expected. It is the tireless and selfless efforts of those who have been recognised that keeps our communities in Brighton and Hove safe and secures the trust and confidence of the public."

The BCRP would like to offer our congratulations to the Sussex Business Wardens for their actions on this day. Another example of the security industry showcasing their contribution to ensure the safety of the city.

We are incredibly proud and thankful to the Sussex Business Wardens for their continued hard work in the city.

Fatal stabbings surge to record high

Deaths from stabbing with a knife or sharp instrument have reached the highest number since records began 70 years ago.

There were 285 deaths in the year to March 2018 [latest available figures] a 34% increase on the previous 12 months. Total homicides by all means in England & Wales stood at 726 making knife crime responsible for 39% of all deaths.

The new statistics were released shortly after the Home Office put forward proposals for a ‘knife crime ASBO’ which will grant new powers to police to deal with individuals aged 12 and over who are found in possession of a knife. Courts will be able to impose curfews and social media bans and penalties for breaching the new ASBO will include a jail term of up to 2 years.

MSU Accreditation 2019

The BCRP is pleased to announce our new Mobile Support Unit Accredited companies for 2019:

-Consec Risk Management Ltd

-Future Guarding Solutions Ltd

-Pagoda Security and Facilities Management Ltd

-Resolve Security Ltd

Prior to the project commencing there were numerous examples of differing standards of operation and the use of vehicles that were indistinguishable from ordinary city centre traffic. The accreditation scheme encourages security companies who offer mobile security vehicles and security personnel in the city to work to the same high degree of professionalism.

To achieve the accreditation companies have to provide evidence to show they meet (or exceed) a set of pre-determined standards. These were created jointly by the heads of security companies across the city who are members to the BCRP. This is a great example of the local security industry self-regulating to demonstrate its commitment to the safety and security of its customers and its employees. You can find out more about the accreditation scheme here.

We are also pleased to announce that this year the BCRP will be offering a second date for companies to apply for the accreditation. If you would like further information about this, please contact us here.

Congratulations to all the companies who have been successful this year. We look forward to another year of great working relationships.

The Ministry of Justice [MoJ] computer systems crash

Courts across England & Wales have been disrupted to the point of cases being abandoned over the past two weeks because of a catastrophic IT failure which began with the criminal justice secure email system [CJSM] ceasing to function which deprived 75,000 lawyers and legal staff and your own BCRP staff of a secure communications channel.

The MoJ’s main computer network linking lawyers, judges, probation workers, BCRPs and court staff malfunctioned which meant that cases were delayed, access to the courts’ digital case system was denied and jurors could not be enrolled.

The justice minister Lucy Frazer was forced to answer emergency questions in the Commons last Wednesday during which she said there had not been a cyber-attack and also denied the problems were the result of financial cuts.

An internal review entitled Digital & Technology, however, made it clear last year that long-term underfunding is at the heart of computer weaknesses in the MoJ having suffered cuts of almost 40% since 2010. The report said: “Historical under-investment in ageing IT systems has built our technical debt to unacceptable levels and we are carrying significant risk that will result in a large-scale data breach if the vulnerabilities are exploited.”

The document also contains a colour-coded analysis relating to “criticality”, ranging from the worst [black] to the least dangerous [green]. Among those in the black category were 30,000 users whose systems required “immediate remediation”.

Commenting on last week’s courtroom IT chaos, Chris Henley QC, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association, wrote in a message to members: “Whatever the reasons, and whatever the fix, has anything been more emblematic of the deep and worsening crisis in the criminal justice system than the collapse of IT systems in courts across the country last week?

“Trials adjourned, evidence inaccessible, secure emails vanishing, wifi down, Xhibit just a blank screen, prisons beyond communication, the stuff of satire, and a high-profile media story for several days … But it’s OK, it had nothing to do with a chronic lack of resources.”