Tendring crime initiative receives national accreditation

Designed to make city centres safer for businesses and employees, there are over 250 Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRP) in the UK. Counter Crime Partnership is one of the few BCRP’s not established and/or run by a local authority or the local police.

Established in March 2019, Counter Crime Partnership is completely self-sufficient and not reliant on any funding to operate. It is a proactive crime reduction initiative that operates on the principle that prevention is better than cure. The partnership has proven its value by independently developing essential community safety programmes such as the Town-Link radio scheme, which likely would not exist without the Counter Crime Partnership's efforts. This focus on self-reliance and community-led solutions has enabled the partnership to create a strong, inclusive network that tackles retail crime and addresses broader social needs.

The Counter Crime Partnership's work extends beyond traditional crime prevention. It has built an all-inclusive community that not only prevents retail crime through good communication but also organises charitable initiatives. For instance, the Counter Crime Partnership facilitates food donations from its members who have surplus stock to local housing scheme clients who are in need. This demonstrates that the partnership's mission is not just to deter crime but to foster a safer, more supportive environment for all residents and businesses within the Tendring area, ultimately improving both commercial prospects and community well-being.

The national standards accreditation provides a benchmark of achievement and success, helping to give reassurance to businesses, police and other stakeholders that the partnership is working and provides good value for money.

Scott Pepper, Founder and Manager of Counter Crime Partnership, said: “Through CCP’s shared-radio system, members can instantly warn each other about known offenders or thefts, effectively preventing incidents by keeping offenders on the move. The organisation’s ethos - Prevention is better than cure - remains at its heart, empowering local businesses to collaborate, support one another, and reduce demands on police services.

“CCP’s Police CPI accreditation reinforces how far the initiative has come in under six years -evolving from a grassroots solution into a cornerstone of community resilience. It validates the partnership’s innovative, practical approach to crime prevention in Clacton on Sea and beyond”.

Sophie Jordan, National Association of Business Crime Partnerships, said: “Following a thorough review of operating practices, our assessor has commended CCP as a strong example of a fully independent BCRP, actively supporting local businesses and their staff through effective crime reduction initiatives.

“We look forward to seeing continued growth in partnership working with local agencies, unlocking even greater potential for collaborative efforts to prevent crime and enhance community safety”.

Amanda Mulholland from Police CPI said: “Congratulations to the Counter Crime Partnership on their accreditation. Achieving this is a significant challenge for any crime reduction partnership, and their success shows a strong commitment to creating safer environments for customers and staff. Their work not only improves safety but also boosts the commercial prospects for local businesses. I'm excited to see their continued progress and future developments”.

Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) accreditation

The accreditation process is based on a set of standards owned by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC).

The standards include good management practices and procedures such as membership agreements, data security and compliance with current legislation. It includes having robust information for members and partner organisations that is up to date as well as making it easily accessible 24/7. For some BCRPs, the standards will include the use of CCTV and radio links with members.

The aim is to recognise good practice and professionalism to ensure BCRPs are functioning in an ethical manner and within the law, specifically checks to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

It is expected that accreditation will enhance the level of partnership working nationally and encourage continued, significant, national business investment in BCRPs. In addition, the intention is that it will provide reassurance to Police Forces that data shared with BCRP partner organisations will be utilised in a responsible manner to reduce criminal activity.

Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), who run the Secured by Design initiative, is the accreditation body for BCRPs. The accreditation process is based on a set of standards owned by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC).

Find out more about the BCRP National Standards here.