Norwich’s thriving retail and business sector requires a robust approach to tackling crime, particularly in addressing persistent theft, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and repeat offenders. Recognising the need for a structured and proactive response, the ALERT Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP), run by Norwich Business Improvement District, sought a technology-driven solution that would enable businesses to work together, share intelligence efficiently, and strengthen ties with law enforcement.

Seeking an innovative approach to crime prevention, ALERT integrated Disc into its crime reduction strategy, providing businesses with a dynamic platform for intelligence sharing, incident reporting, and real-time communication.

Since adopting Disc eight years ago, ALERT has successfully built a collaborative crime prevention network in Norwich, improving business security and fostering stronger relationships with Norfolk Constabulary.

The Impact

Disc has significantly improved crime prevention efforts within the ALERT partnership by:

• Displaying offender information clearly and intuitively: Businesses can easily access galleries of prolific offenders, including custody images and CCTV footage.
• Facilitating real-time intelligence sharing: Instant messaging allows businesses to communicate and support each other in responding to live incidents.
• Streamlining reporting and analytics: Disc’s KPI tracking tools allow ALERT to assess crime trends, offender activity, and user engagement with ease.
• Enhancing police collaboration: Norfolk Constabulary supports and encourages businesses to use Disc, integrating it into their retail crime strategy.
• Strengthening business relationships: The instant messaging function has enabled businesses to build stronger connections, providing a sense of support and community among retailers.
• Improving offender identification: The ability to cross-reference descriptions and images through Disc’s tools has led to quicker and more accurate identifications, aiding in detainment and crime prevention.

Real-World Success Stories

Disc’s instant messaging function has played a vital role in catching offenders and preventing further crimes.

Recently, a fashion retailer reported a theft of several polo shirts via Disc’s daytime economy chat. Although the store lacked CCTV, the offender’s basic description was logged in Disc. Later that same day, another business reviewed the description and used Disc’s ‘Find a Subject’ feature to confirm the suspect’s identity. The offender was swiftly detained by store loss prevention staff, with all stolen goods recovered and returned. Following subsequent offences, the Norwich Business Crime Forum voted to exclude the individual from all ALERT-member stores.

Police and Council Collaboration

Norfolk Constabulary has played a crucial role in Disc’s success within the ALERT partnership. Their active involvement has led to the development of a retail crime strategy that encourages businesses to report crimes through Disc. In the past 12 months, businesses have submitted 412 crime reports directly to the police via the platform.

The police’s ability to access real-time offender intelligence has helped them adopt a problem-solving approach to tackling retail crime, demonstrating how Disc strengthens law enforcement efforts and community safety.

Measuring Success with KPIs

ALERT takes full advantage of Disc’s KPI and analytics functions, using them to:

• Track the top offenders and identify emerging crime trends.
• Monitor changes in crime rates month-over-month and year-over-year.
• Export data to Power BI for deeper analysis and reporting.
• Assess engagement metrics to ensure businesses remain active in crime prevention efforts.
• Provide detailed reports to the board of management, offering clear insights into crime patterns, offender activity, and the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies.

Why Norwich ALERT Recommends Disc

For ALERT, Disc is an essential tool in maintaining a proactive business crime reduction network. Its ease of use, instant messaging, and data analytics empower businesses to take a collaborative and informed approach to crime prevention.

Michael Yates, ALERT Project Manager explains, “Disc is an essential tool within ALERT, helping to build a proactive community of businesses working together to combat business crime. With Disc, we can issue real-time alerts and provide businesses with a secure way to communicate. The platform has also strengthened our relationship with Norfolk Constabulary, reassuring businesses and giving them the confidence to report crimes clearly and effectively.”

As Disc continues to evolve, ALERT remains committed to maximising its benefits, ensuring that Norwich businesses remain connected, informed, and supported in the fight against crime.

Want to learn how Disc can support crime prevention in your area? Get in touch today.

Businesses across Staffordshire face daily challenges from shoplifting, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and persistent offenders. To tackle these issues, Partnerships Against Business Crime in Staffordshire (PABCIS) required a streamlined, segregated system for intelligence sharing and incident reporting across multiple towns and districts.

To address these challenges, PABCIS implemented Disc—a centralised platform that enhances real-time crime prevention efforts, simplifies incident reporting, and strengthens collaboration between businesses, local authorities, and law enforcement. PABCIS use Disc for their day time economy, night time economy and ASB schemes and operate Disc SC, using ‘segregated content’, whereby each group of Members only receive content that is relevant to them. Since adopting Disc seven years ago, PABCIS has transformed the way intelligence is shared across the county.

The Impact

Disc has become a key component of PABCIS’s crime prevention strategy, providing:

• Seamless communication: Push notifications ensure that alerts reach relevant members immediately.
• Simple and secure information sharing: Members can receive email updates directly through Disc, eliminating the need for separate mailing lists.
• Data-driven crime prevention: The analytics tools help identify top offenders, peak offence times, and key crime hotspots.
• Flexibility for different levels of engagement: Some members use Disc daily, while others rely on their radio network but still benefit hugely from access to alerts and intelligence.

Real-World Success Stories

Disc is used daily across Staffordshire to identify offenders, prevent incidents, and share intelligence. One of the biggest strengths of the platform is the ability to send an alert that instantly reaches all relevant businesses. This immediate notification process has been pivotal in catching offenders and preventing further crimes.

“To be honest, we have so many successes, and this happens daily where we have someone identified or we share an alert that triggers a member recognising an offender targeting them.” – Paul Greenhough, PABCIS Manager

Police and Council Collaboration

PABCIS works closely with local councils and Staffordshire Police, many of whom regularly use Disc to share intelligence. Officers provide updates on offenders and incidents, ensuring that businesses remain informed while maintaining the secure and compliant sharing of information.

Measuring Success with KPIs

Disc’s analytics tools allow PABCIS to track crime trends and measure impact effectively:

• The Top 10 Offenders list helps businesses stay informed about the most active offenders.
• Crime patterns by day and time allow businesses to plan security measures more effectively.
• Reporter and area breakdowns help track engagement and participation across different locations.

Why PABCIS Recommends Disc

For PABCIS, Disc is an essential tool for intelligence sharing and crime prevention across Staffordshire. The platform’s ease of use ensures that members, whether highly engaged or occasional users, benefit from timely and relevant information.

“We find Disc a key part of what we do, and compared to other intelligence platforms, we like the ease of use for our members and how easy it is for us to share information across the county or individual areas. When we sign up or approach new members, it is a key selling point of the partnership.” Paul Greenhough explains.

With its long-standing success, PABCIS continues to maximise the benefits of Disc, ensuring that businesses across Staffordshire remain vigilant, connected, and empowered in the fight against crime.

Want to learn how Disc can support crime prevention in your area? Get in touch today.

Gravesham, like many town centres, faces persistent challenges related to shoplifting, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and repeat offenders. Business owners, law enforcement, and the local community needed a centralised system to share intelligence and act swiftly to prevent crime.

To address these challenges, G Safe introduced Disc, a digital information-sharing platform designed to support crime reduction partnerships (BCRPs). Since adopting Disc two years ago, G Safe has revolutionised the way crime prevention operates in Gravesham, making intelligence sharing, real-time alerts, and offender tracking more efficient and effective.

The Impact of Disc

Disc has provided a one-stop platform for all crime-related information in the area, facilitating:

• Real-time crime prevention: Instant messaging allows businesses and police to respond rapidly to incidents, preventing crime before it escalates.
• Offender profiling: Businesses can track repeat offenders, providing police with the intelligence they need to take action.
• Community engagement: Members actively use the platform to report and receive updates on incidents, fostering a culture of shared responsibility.
• Tangible results: With 150 Disc users, G Safe recorded 505 instant messages in just one week during Safer Business Action Week—demonstrating the high level of engagement and effectiveness of real-time communication.

Real-World Success Stories

Disc’s impact is evident in multiple real-life crime prevention successes.

On October 11, 2024, a shoplifting incident was reported over the G Safe radio, with a photo of the offender shared instantly on Disc. A Business Support Officer, while making routine visits, recognised the suspect entering a nearby pub. Police were called, the offender was identified, and the stolen goods were recovered—just as he was about to enjoy a pint.

Another incident on October 16, 2024, followed a similar pattern. A shop flagged a theft via radio and Disc instant messaging, and business support officers identified the suspect in town. Police were alerted, stock was recovered from two stores, and the suspect was then also linked to a previous theft—demonstrating how Disc helps build a fuller intelligence picture over time.

Police and Council Collaboration

One of the standout benefits of Disc is its seamless integration with local law enforcement. Police officers have access to the Disc app on their work phones, enabling them to update members daily on arrests, prison sentences, and Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs). This has strengthened trust between businesses and the police, ensuring that every report made through Disc is taken seriously and contributes to wider crime prevention efforts.

Measuring Success with KPIs

G Safe uses Disc’s analytics and engagement tools to monitor crime trends and assess the impact of their efforts.

• Monthly reports track key crime categories such as theft, ASB, violence, drug-related offences, and begging.
• Engagement rates are monitored by comparing logins and the number of instant messages sent month-by-month.
• Annual reports combine these insights, providing a clear picture of crime trends and the effectiveness of interventions.

“We love the engagement tool, as it shows how active our members are. The value of goods recovered metric immediately demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of our BCRP.” Sophie Jordan explains, Crime Manager, G Safe.

Why G Safe Recommends Disc

For G Safe, Disc has become an essential tool for tackling crime in Gravesham. From real-time crime prevention to long-term intelligence gathering, the platform empowers businesses, security teams, and law enforcement to work together seamlessly.

Sophie Jordan says, “Disc helps us share information in real time to prevent crimes from happening, and in slow time to build offender profiles so we can identify the most prolific offenders for police action. By using Disc, we are the only organisation holding the full local intelligence picture.”

As G Safe continues to grow and evolve, they are eager to explore further enhancements within Disc, including the potential introduction of Disc’s Direct Crime Reporting feature. For now, Disc remains a game-changer in the fight against retail crime and anti-social behaviour in Gravesham.

Want to learn how Disc can support crime prevention in your area? Get in touch today.

Manchester City Centre is a vibrant hub for retail, hospitality, and tourism. However, high footfall traffic brings increased challenges related to retail crime, antisocial behaviour, and public safety. To address these issues, CityCo Manchester Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) was set up and is core funded through a combined radio and BCRP Membership subscription and delivered by CityCo.  The partnership has integrated Disc into its crime prevention strategy since 2013, making it a core tool for information sharing and collaboration between businesses and law enforcement.

The Role of Disc

CityCo Manchester operates two Disc platforms to cater to different sectors: one for retail and commercial businesses and another for the night-time economy (NTE). In 2023, the NTE system was upgraded to a segregated content platform, allowing the partnership to support additional business sectors, ensuring compliance while enabling businesses to access relevant intelligence.

Sectors using Disc in Manchester City Centre:

-Retail & commercial businesses
-Licensed premises (pubs, bars, nightclubs)
-Hotels (Accommodation BID – 76 hotels) (service provision to the ABID funded by the Manchester Accommodation BID)
-Car parks and patrol staff
-Estate management teams

These platforms enable businesses to:

✔️ Securely report incidents and share intelligence with other members
✔️ Receive real-time alerts on criminal activity, wanted individuals, and high-risk incidents
✔️ Stay informed about new exclusions, Community Behaviour Orders (CBOs), injunctions, and other legal measures
✔️ Access push notifications through the Disc app for instant updates

How Disc Supports Greater Manchester Police (GMP)

The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Neighbourhood Strategic Team has fully integrated Disc into their policing model. It provides officers with instant access to intelligence, helps them track live incidents, and improves overall crime management in Manchester City Centre.

Neighbourhood Strategic Sergeant, Manchester City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, highlights how Disc has transformed their approach:

“DISC is a really useful tool that has enhanced Policing and community relations in Manchester City Centre. Not only is it a system that enables officers to access a depth of information via intelligence, nominal profiles or ID sorts, but it is also a great means of communication. The system allows officers to receive and send messages/alerts so that incidents can be tracked in ‘live time.’ Officers regularly use the system to seek information to assist in an investigation or locate a vulnerable or missing person. DISC has become an integral part of the way we Police Manchester City Centre and link to our community, whether that be retail, hospitality or public services. Our model is the envy of many other policing areas.”

Why Disc is Valuable to GMP’s City Centre Policing Team

🔹 Focused intelligence sharing – Police databases contain vast amounts of offender data, but Disc creates a targeted system where businesses report incidents relevant to their community, making it easier for police to identify repeat offenders and crime trends.
🔹 Identifying high-harm offenders – Through Disc, GMP can monitor retail crime patterns and pinpoint individuals causing the most harm to businesses.
🔹 Secure information dissemination – Officers can share intelligence on individuals with bail conditions, criminal behaviour orders (CBOs), injunctions, or specific Modus Operandi (MOs) (e.g., using de-taggers, carrying weapons) securely with relevant partners.
🔹 Fully compliant and legal – Disc provides a secure and GDPR-compliant platform for intelligence sharing, ensuring sensitive data is only accessed by authorised personnel.

A spokesperson from GMP’s Business & Consular Liaison | Neighbourhood Strategic Team reinforced this point:

“DISC is useful for Police largely due to the opportunities it presents in terms of intelligence sharing. Police systems contain large databases of offenders, but due to their size and scope, at times it can be difficult to narrow down exactly who is offending where and which offenders are really causing the most harm to the local community. DISC allows for a segregated system for a specific community where they can report incidents, allowing officers to more easily see what is affecting them and what matters to them in a timely manner.

For example, the Business Crime Reduction Partnership in Manchester City Centre uses DISC to share intelligence on retail crime, which gives Greater Manchester Police a platform whereby they can see who is targeting the retail sector on a repeated basis and causing the most harm to that community. It can also help identify trends of crime and showcase new offenders that otherwise may have gone under the radar.

The platform also allows for an easy way to disseminate intelligence outwards to partners, with officers able to release information on individuals that have certain conditions (i.e., bail conditions, criminal behaviour orders or injunctions) or MOs (i.e., uses a de-tagger, carries a knife, etc.). This is invaluable, as it allows the Police to share relevant information in a secure fashion to only those that need it, resulting in a fully compliant, legal model in which to share intelligence that helps not only apprehend offenders but, more importantly, protect would-be victims of crime from harm.”

A Standout Success: Preventing Child Abduction in Manchester City Centre

Disc has been instrumental in securing arrests and preventing crimes across various sectors, but one of its most significant safeguarding successes took place on 16th July 2024.

An urgent alert was sent through Disc regarding concerns for three missing juveniles from North Wales. Intelligence suggested they had been coerced into travelling to Manchester to commit criminal offences. The alert was sent to the Accommodation BID members, urging them to report any sightings or bookings of the juveniles or their suspected handler.

Outcome:
A city-centre hotel spotted one of the juveniles checking in and immediately alerted the police. GMP swiftly responded, leading to the arrests of two male adults for child abduction and the safe recovery of all three missing children.

This case demonstrates how Disc’s real-time intelligence sharing and strong community-police collaboration can prevent serious crime and safeguard vulnerable individuals.

Results & Impact

✔️ Improved Police & Business Collaboration – Real-time access to intelligence enables faster police responses.
✔️ Crime Prevention & Business Safety – Businesses receive timely, relevant updates, helping them take action before incidents occur.
✔️ Effective Risk Management – Segregated content ensures information is targeted, compliant, and secure.
✔️ Better Crime Tracking & Reporting – Disc provides data-driven insights to identify trends and support long-term crime reduction strategies.

Conclusion: Why Manchester’s Crime Prevention Model Stands Out

Manchester’s approach to crime reduction and business safety has become a model for other policing areas. Disc provides the secure, efficient, and compliant platform that businesses and police need to work together effectively.

Rob Dyson, Business Crime Reduction Manager at CityCo Manchester BCRP, sums it up:

“The DISC Platform provides the partnership and partners with a secure space to effectively focus our efforts on the matters most important to our members, ensuring intelligence and updates are shared in a compliant secure system in a timely fashion. The ease of reporting via the app and browser ensures community intelligence is captured and utilised for effective long-term management of risk offenders.”

Want to learn how Disc can support crime prevention in your area? Get in touch today.