A few years ago security at Birstall Shopping Park in West Yorkshire was a cause for concern. By working with the local police, increasing CCTV surveillance and providing 24 hour security patrols, this situation has been turned around. In 2005 the Park became the first in West Yorkshire to receive the Safer Parking Award. The Centre Manager has been working with the local Crime Reduction Officer to improve security in the area. In 2006 they brought together the owners of adjacent sites to fund a police officer. This was match-funded by West Yorkshire Police to provide an additional officer. The Park also became a member of the North East Retailers Against Crime Partnership, sharing information to reduce criminal activity.
Watch Roger Day, Crime Reduction Officer, and Denis Copeland, Centre Manager, discussing security at Birstall Shopping Park
The management team at Broughton and New Mersey Shopping Parks in the North West have been working with local police, ambulance services and schools. In 2006 they achieved Action Against Business Crime Safer Business Awards and gained the ‘Safe Child’ Award. The ‘Safe Child’ scheme is run in association with North Wales and Merseyside Police and aims to ensure incidents involving lost children are managed quickly, effectively and sensitively. The Park Operations Manager visits schools throughout North Wales as a champion for the initiative. In 2006 the team at Broughton also introduced a First Responder initiative in partnership with the Welsh Ambulance Service. Six security staff were trained to carry out basic life saving skills, including cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and use of a defibrillator. Broughton First Responders have helped in over a dozen separate cases since the scheme was launched.
Blythe Valley Park is a member of ‘Solihull Business Watch’ run by West Midlands Police. This scheme aims to reduce criminal activity through two-way sharing of information. The team at Blythe Valley also works with West Midlands Police to identify vehicles suspected of being stolen or with criminal links. In a separate initiative West Midland Ambulance Service trained the security team and a senior manager in basic life support skills and how to use a defibrillator. The British Heart Foundation donated a defibrillator to the Park as part of this initiative to save the lives of heart attack victims.
In 2006 the team at Teesside Shopping Park in Stockton-on-Tees continued to work with Cleveland Police in training new police officers. Over 100 Probational Officers were involved in role play scenarios to prepare them for ‘real world’ policing. No vehicles have been stolen from the Park in the past three years and the Park has achieved the Safer Parking Award.
At Parkgate Shopping Park in Rotherham, the team has been working with the police and local schools to reduce truancy in the area.
At Glasgow Fort Shopping Park, thanks to positive relationships with the local community and a partnership with Strathclyde Police, there is an extremely high solve rate of 66% on all reported crimes. As part of their integrated approach to security the security team is committed to responding to any call within 30 seconds- so far arriving to 100% of incidents within this time frame. A security officer from Glasgow Fort won the Scottish Security Organisation’s Officer of the Year in 2005 and two of the three finalists in 2006 came from Glasgow Fort.