Business crime has a broad scope, it includes offences against businesses as well as offences against individuals associated with businesses. Such crimes include ‘traditional’ offences such as retail thefts, burglary at commercial premises and criminal damage, but also include those that are more complex such as fraud and cybercrime.
The Commissioner supports a range of activity to help businesses and retailers to protect themselves against becoming victims of crime and also to enhance the police response to business crime when it occurs.
Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative
Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative (WRCI) is a partnership of own-member schemes across the county’s major town centres, with a membership of over 160 retailers and 100 licensed premises.
Members share data via an encrypted app, DISC, on which they can also report incidents and view images of individuals who have been reported by members for committing crime and/or excluded from entering member premises because of their actions.
The Police and Crime Commissioner has provided grant funding to WRCI to to support a more joined up approach between police, retailers and licensed premises.
Business Watch
Warwickshire Business Watch has been created in partnership between the Police and Crime Commissioner, Warwickshire County Council Community Safety and Substance Misuse Team, and Warwickshire Police.
The website provides business and cyber advice, links to other groups who provide support, as well as how to report business or cyber crime.
It also offers the option to sign up to the free Warwickshire Business Watch alert scheme to receive alerts on all information of relevance on the topics of business and cyber crime. The alerts will be used to notify businesses of crimes that could potentially affect them in their area, information on cyber threats but also general advice on staying safe online.
