Working towards making the area a safer place to both shop locally and enjoy a night on the town, the Bath and District Business Crime Reduction Community Interest Company (B&DBCRP) are keen to recruit as many local businesses, including shop owners, to sign up to its initiative. The schemes are Dusk til Dawn, which provides a data sharing platform for the Norton Radstock, Keynsham and Bath Pub Watches, and B&DBCRP for all other businesses.

As a Community Interest company, all of the funds that it makes go back in to the initiative, which, in turn, will build a greater network of support for local businesses in fighting crime and anti-social behaviour.

Incorporating Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Bath and Keynsham, belonging to the Business Crime Reduction Community means that information can readily and legally be shared via a secure intranet, which provides members with a two-way communication tool, receiving information about current offenders, but also to submit incident reports, including CCTV snapshots, which are collated and shared with members, all signed up to data-sharing agreements and protocols. Behind all of this is a radio link which is monitored by B&NES’ CCTV communications hub.

The initiative was formed in 1990 by a group of retailers alongside Bath Police and Bath City Council; it has evolved and now works alongside B&NES Council, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham Town Councils, Business West and Avon and Somerset Police.

Local businesses that have signed up include Mallards, the Riverside, the Greyhound, the Crossways Tavern, Midsomer Norton Social Club, the Lamb Inn, Paulton, and Westhill Sports Club to name a few. In doing so, these businesses can information share with others in Radstock, Bath, or Keynsham, which means that anyone who is excluded from a business in one place, can automatically be banned from the rest in the area.

The local Co-ordinator is keen to stress that using the initiative to ban people is a last resort, with the emphasis being on changing peoples’ anti-social behaviour and early intervention. He told The Journal: “M-Fest last year, in Midsomer Norton’s High Street, was a real success story – it allowed businesses to work together well; showing that a music event in the town could work once again.

“Joining this scheme means that you could be part of the solution and make our towns a safer, more pleasant place to be. In a world of instant social media, it is really important for local businesses to realise that ‘naming and shaming’ and sharing complaints online is not legal, and could jeopardise any potential court action. By being part of the company, your business is protected and supported by the law.”

B&NES Police Licensing Officer, Geoff Cannon, agrees: “Being part of this scheme assists premises in promoting their licensing objectives; preventing crime and disorder, preventing public nuisance, looking after public safety and the protection of children from harm.

“It empowers license holders to act together and show a united front, whilst educating one another and sharing information on individuals who are causing problems in the area.

“It will also, ultimately, make B&NES a safer place to enjoy the local nightlife.”

More businesses are invited to join Bath and District Business Crime Reduction. If you think your business would benefit, email: [email protected]