Bridging the Policing Gap: The Crucial Role of BCRPs in Reducing Retail Crime

Retail crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) continue to be major challenges for businesses across the UK. With police resources stretched thin due to budget constraints and rising demands, the ability to effectively tackle shoplifting, theft, and other retail-related offences has become increasingly difficult.

This gap in policing has led to the rise of vital Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs)—collaborative initiatives that empower businesses to share intelligence, deter criminal activity, and create safer retail environments. It is vital to recognise the key role these partnerships play in reducing crime and filling the void left by limited policing resources.

The Growing Problem of Retail Crime

According to a recent British Retail Consortium (BRC) report, retail crime cost UK businesses over £1 billion in 2022, with incidents of violence and abuse against shop workers reaching record levels. Shoplifting alone has surged by 26% in some areas, with organised retail crime becoming more sophisticated and widespread. With police forces prioritising higher-level crimes, many retail offences go unreported or unaddressed, leaving businesses vulnerable.

A unique research project from the University of Gloucester highlighted the effectiveness of local banning schemes, showing that over 60% of offenders stopped offending in areas where these schemes were implemented (Source). These figures emphasise the urgent need for structured approaches like BCRPs to combat repeat offending.

How BCRPs Fill the Policing Gap

BCRPs serve as a vital bridge between businesses, local authorities, and police forces, ensuring a coordinated response to retail crime. These partnerships operate on a not-for-profit, subscription-based model and provide:

• Real-Time Intelligence Sharing: Retailers and security teams share live updates on offenders, emerging crime trends, and incidents via secure platforms like Disc.
• Direct Police Communication: BCRPs often equip local police officers with radios connected to business networks, allowing for quicker interventions and improved response times.
• Banning Orders: Persistent offenders can be banned from all businesses within a BCRP zone, creating a strong deterrent and reducing reoffending rates.
• CCTV Integration: Some BCRPs work directly with local authority CCTV control rooms, enabling live tracking of known offenders and enhanced crime prevention strategies.
• Targeting Organised Crime: By collating data across businesses, BCRPs help identify patterns of organised shoplifting and fraud, allowing for strategic law enforcement action.

The Measurable Impact of BCRPs

Research published in 2019 underscores how private, low-level crime reduction schemes like BCRPs are increasingly filling the gaps left by shrinking police resources (Source). The study found that areas with active BCRPs reported:

• A significant reduction in repeat offences due to targeted interventions.
• Better offender identification and tracking, leading to swifter justice.
• Increased confidence among retailers that action is being taken against crime.

Moreover, the National Association of Business Crime Partnerships (NABCP) affirms that BCRPs help to prevent crime in real-time, with initiatives such as “Banned from One, Banned from All” effectively excluding known offenders from multiple premises at once (Source).

Beyond Retail: BCRPs’ Wider Community Impact

While BCRPs are primarily designed to protect retailers, their work extends into broader community safety initiatives, including:

• Safe Spaces & Support Schemes: Many BCRPs run schemes such as Ask for Angela, providing safer environments for vulnerable individuals.
• Violence Reduction in Night-Time Economy: Coordinating with bars, clubs, and local authorities to address alcohol-related crime and disorder.
• Youth Offender Prevention: Engaging with youth services to tackle first-time offending and prevent reoffending.

The Future of BCRPs: Why Businesses Must Get Involved

The success of BCRPs depends on strong business participation and continued collaboration with local authorities. As police forces face unprecedented resource challenges, businesses must take proactive steps to protect their staff, customers, and profits.

How Businesses Can Support BCRPs:

1. Join Your Local BCRP – Many towns and cities already have active partnerships that retailers can subscribe to.
2. Encourage Intelligence Sharing – Reporting incidents ensures a collective approach to tackling crime.
3. Engage with Local Authorities – Strengthening links with police and councils can improve enforcement strategies.
4. Utilise Crime Prevention Tools – Platforms like Disc provide retailers with real-time alerts and valuable crime data.

Business Crime Reduction Partnerships are more than just crime prevention initiatives—they are essential to maintaining the safety, security, and economic viability of UK high streets. With retail crime and ASB on the rise, the need for coordinated action has never been greater. It’s crucial for businesses, law enforcement, and local authorities to unite in closing the policing gap and creating safer city centres for all.

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