Overview
The group was formed back in 1991 with just 5 members and over the years has grown to a current membership of over 90
Our Aim
The main aim of the group is to help reduce and prevent criminality and anti–social behaviour within the Scarborough area.
Objectives
The group sees its objectives as being the prevention, detection and reducing the opportunity to commit crime and anti–social behaviour. To exclude prolific and persistent offenders from members premises and to help with the apprehension and/or prosecution of offenders. This in turn will help reduce business crime losses for members and help create a safe and secure environment for both customers and staff. A further objective for the group is to strengthen partnerships already formed with police, local authority and other agencies and to be an integral part of the local Community Safety Strategy.
Radio Link
Many members already have use of a Shop Link two-way digital radio, which they use in the sending and receiving of relevant information between themselves the CCTV monitoring station and when appropriate, the local police. This link up has proved to be the single most effective tool in helping to achieve the group’s objectives. It has enabled the identification and movement of regular offenders and has the ability to track in real time any offences that may be in progress. This digital radio system covers almost the whole of the Scarborough area.
Exclusions Notices/Orders
These notices are in addition to the retailer’s existing rights. When applied they can exclude persistent offenders from all participating shops or entire areas of the town: For more information click here
Spin-off Benefits
In the event of a problem, members enjoy the security of being able to instantly contact other members and or the CCTV Control room, either in their own stores or anywhere within the radio catchment area.
Scarborough Anti Theft Group are pleased to inform residents and visitors to the Scarborough area that they have been re-accredited with the newly named ‘Safer Business Award’ which replaced the ‘Safer Shopping Award’ that they received in 2002. At this time they are the first and only town in North Yorkshire to be re-accredited.
The National Association of Business Crime Partnerships, who represents the Home Office, awarded the Anti Theft group with the new plaque and certificate and congratulated them for achieving the standard required. It showed that partnership working with the local police, the Borough council, and other important business agencies was working well to prevent and reduce all aspects of business crime and also very importantly, reduce the fear of crime. The information sharing between group members, the use of the radio link, together with the excellent support of CCTV have all been key factors in achieving this high standard.
The group would like to thank everyone involved in helping to gain this prestigious accreditation. The group were given the award again with distinction in September 2017 and have gained accreditation in 2019 and more recently in 2021 for the newly formed NABCP for reaching the National Standard as a Business Crime Partnership.