The National Association of Business Crime Partnerships have announced the first ever National Awareness Week for Business Crime Reduction Partnerships to take place throughout the week of 17th March 2025.
Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs) are not for profit, subscription based, local organisations with the purpose of preventing crime and antisocial behaviour, by uniting the local business community with local statutory services, including the Police and local authorities. Canterbury BID is proud to be integrating Canterbury District Watch into its programme of Safe & Secure activity and taking on the role as the BCRP for the city.
In Canterbury the safety and security of staff, customers and visitors is a top priority. Canterbury BID chair the city’s Safety & Security Roundtable and Purple Flag partnership and accreditation. We also run the Zero Tolerance training programme and co-lead on Best Bar None accreditation with Kent Police. We want to ensure that Canterbury’s day time and night time economy is vibrant, diverse and safe for everyone. There is always more work to do, which is why the partnerships and the projects and support we can deliver are so crucial. Canterbury has
- 22 years of District Watch
- 12 years of Purple Flag
- 12 years of Street Pastors
- Zero Tolerance training
- Best Bar None accreditation
- Numerous new projects and support rolled out through Safer Streets funding, including two new locations of Safe Havens to complement existing ones; bystander training for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and additional police operations (Project Vigilant, Shoplifting Days of Actions).
- and a strong Community Safety Partnership
This partnership approach between the local business community and key local stakeholders enables the identification of offenders at a much earlier stage than would be possible without this collaboration and sharing of local knowledge, meaning offenders are no longer anonymous and can be quickly brought to justice.
Lisa Carlson, CEO Canterbury BID said:
“Thanks to the existing partnership working between agencies, police and businesses, Canterbury has been the proud receiver of Purple Flag for 12 years. We were able to roll out Best Bar None in 2023 along with Zero Tolerance Training and even extended the Save Havens in the city centre. We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership activities that support our businesses and residents.”
Sophie Jordan, CEO at the National Association of Business Crime Partnerships said
“Most towns and cities in the UK are supported by a local BCRP, yet their highly effective work to keep communities safe is widely unknown outside the immediate industry sector. The Awareness Week seeks to change this by showcasing the complex and holistic approach to crime prevention provided by BCRP
