Bournemouth Businesses Supported During Crime Awareness Week Initiative

Bournemouth businesses received support through a week of targeted activities designed to address retail crime and anti-social behaviour, as the Bournemouth Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) marked National Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) Awareness Week.

Held last week, the initiative brought together local businesses, Dorset Police, BCP Council, and BID teams through a series of events, business visits, and engagement activities across the town centre.

The national campaign highlights the significant role that Business Crime Reduction Partnerships play in helping businesses prevent crime, share intelligence and enhance safety.

During the week, the Bournemouth Town Centre BID team engaged directly with levy-paying businesses by offering guidance, strengthening partnerships, and supporting the use of the SentrySIS reporting system to ensure effective incident recording and information sharing with key partners.

A series of events gave businesses a direct platform to raise concerns and discuss the challenges facing the town centre.

These included a Coffee, Cake and a Councillor session at Flirt Café, where businesses participated in open and constructive discussions with the local authority regarding anti-social behaviour and town centre issues.

An additional Coffee, Cake and a Copper session at House of Focaccia enabled businesses to engage directly with Dorset Police on topics such as retail crime, reporting processes, and police presence in Bournemouth.

The week also included a Lunchtime Learning session focused on cyber security, delivered by Castra in partnership with Howden and hosted at Regus Bournemouth. The session explored the growing risks of cyber crime for micro businesses and SMEs, offering practical guidance to help businesses become more cyber aware. 

In addition to these events, joint patrols were conducted by the BID’s Town Rangers and BCP Council CSAS officers, focusing on identified hotspots and engaging with businesses. 

The week also shone a spotlight on the town centre BID’s exclusion notice scheme that allows businesses to act together against persistent anti-social behaviour offenders which has already seen three exclusion notices issued.

Jackie Arnold, Business Crime Liaison Officer for Bournemouth Town Centre BID said:

“We’ve had really positive engagement from businesses throughout the week. Creating opportunities for people to speak directly with partners such as the council and police is incredibly valuable, 

“This kind of joined-up approach is key to helping businesses feel supported, improving reporting and ultimately creating a safer, more welcoming environment for everyone.”

National BCRP Awareness Week serves as a timely reminder that safer town centres are achieved through collaboration, consistent reporting, and shared standards. 

For more information about Bournemouth Town Centre BID and its ongoing support for businesses, visit www.towncentrebid.co.uk