*Police officers are supporting business owners at Edmonton Green Shopping Centre*

Business owners at Edmonton Green Shopping Centre to benefit from government-funded scheme, reports James Cracknell

A new partnership between businesses and the police is aiming to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in Edmonton.

The Safer Edmonton Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) is part of a larger project co-ordinated by the Met Police that includes similar initiatives across London, and is being funded by the Home Office.

Led by Edmonton Green Shopping Centre in partnership with Safer Business Network (SBN), a community interest company, it will enable local businesses to work together to combat crime with a focus on violence reduction, knife crime and safeguarding young people.

The BCRP model has been created to support businesses at the shopping centre with a dedicated team who will work closely with them on crime and safety concerns – offering crime prevention advice and providing solutions to address the most pressing issues.

Edmonton Green asset director Sabri Marsaoui, the interim chair of Safer Edmonton BCRP, said: “We must make a stand against crime and disorder impacting the businesses within Edmonton Green and the surrounding areas.

“We are very pleased to be working with our dedicated partners at Enfield Council, the Metropolitan Police, and the amazing team at Safer Business Network, and are confident that our partnership will literally create a safer Edmonton for all.”

Inspector Matt Turner, from the Met Police’s partnership and prevention team, said: “The scheme will adapt tried and tested BCRP practices to help tackle violence within businesses and the wider community.”

SBN will be providing businesses in the shopping centre with access to a web-based platform where they can view and share photographs and information of known offenders operating in the area. Regular crime alerts and intelligence will also be exchanged via a smartphone app.

A legal framework where persistent offenders can be excluded from business premises and the wider area will also be established, while business owners will be offered training to help spot people who may be vulnerable and at risk of exploitation.

Enfield Council’s cabinet member for community safety, Nneka Keazor, said: “We want to build on the work carried out in partnership with communities and local businesses and we will be supporting this BCRP through many initiatives.

“These include the installation of knife safes, monitoring the council’s CCTV and using data to understand the impact of this first business crime reduction scheme for Enfield.”

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