Welcome to 16 new Disc implementations – from iconic retail centres to new Disc Coronavirus system….

Welcome to 16 new Disc implementations – from iconic retail centres to new Disc Coronavirus system….

We’re delighted to welcome no less than 16 new Disc systems: seven implementations to support some of the best-known shopping malls in the country, eight for BIDs and local Watch groups – and the first of special Disc variant to help tackle Coronavirus-related anti-social behaviour.

One of the UK’s leading facilities management and security companies has invested in seven more Disc systems for one of its most prestigious retail customers. February saw the company go live with the new systems, now in place in some of the largest shopping centres in the UK including Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester and others.

Disc has been running in one of the retailer’s London sites for almost three years. “Obviously we’re delighted that the company has decided to implement Disc across its major sites in England and Wales” says Disc’s Charlie Newman. “We have developed a number of new functions for the project, including the ability for each implementation to copy incidents direct into any local BCRP or BID which is currently using Disc to manage a local exclusion scheme.”

Another prestigious new account is Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative, which  is to convert from its existing information-sharing system to Disc. Using the new ‘segregated content’ version of Disc, WRCI will be transitioning incrementally from its current system to Disc, eventually to support all its many daytime and night-time schemes across the county. WRCI was one of the first county-wide Business Crime Reduction Partnerships to be set up and we’re delighted to welcome them into the Disc network.

We also welcome Southampton BID as a new Disc user, making 12 Disc systems now implemented across Hampshire. Most are already linked together – with mutual consent of their Data Controllers – for the purpose of identifying and sharing information about travelling and prolific offenders. Southampton BID is also a member of the National Business Crime Solution so it can share relevant current awareness from NBCS (also a Disc user) with its local levy-payers with just one click.

Welcome also, to Great Yarmouth BID. The BID has adopted Disc to support its retail levy-payers and becomes the fifth Disc implementation in Norfolk. Like Southampton BID, Great Yarmouth has also joined the National Business Crime Solution and will be using Disc to share current awareness from NBCS quickly and easily with its levy payers.

Clacton becomes the 13th Disc implementation – and the ninth Disc-enabled pubwatch – in Essex. Says Disc’s Charlie Newman: “Essex is in a great position now to link all the pubwatches across the county with police and council licensing departments. That means not only that travelling offenders can be identified by police but the police – and council departments such as licensing and Trading Standards – can use the network to efficiently and effectively share useful current awareness information with licensees right across the county”.

West Mercia Police has implemented a fourth Disc system for its Telford district – this to support a new shopwatch scheme in Oakengates. Now with Disc systems covering both the daytime and the night-time communities in Telford, and Wellington retailers, the police may choose to link them together to provide West Mercia with a truly ‘joined-up’ approach to neighbourhood policing in the area.

Oswestry BID, also in, West Mercia, has implemented its second Disc system to run alongside its existing pubwatch scheme. The new system will be supporting the new retail scheme that the BID is in the process of setting up. Both systems are linked together so that administrating both is almost as easy for BID staff as administrating just one.

The new Disc systems in Oakengates and Oswestry bring the total number of Disc systems in the West Mercia police force area to 12.

Disc has long been, by far, the most widely used information sharing systems for Watchgroups and BIDs throughout the UK. But now it is increasingly being deployed to address anti-social behaviour and other community safety issues.

Chester Against Business Crime is working with Chester BID to deliver a Disc-based information sharing system to address local ASB – to the benefit of all BID levy-payers as well as, hopefully, the wider community.

Meanwhile, Guildford Borough Council’s Enforcement Team is deploying a new Disc system to help reduce ASB in the Ash area of the borough Ash Safety Partnership. It’s only the latest public agency to adopt Disc to help its Community Safety Partnership action teams.

Finally, the new Disc Coronavirus ASB system has been implemented by a major city council. It is the first to adopt the new Disc ‘variant’ which has been designed to enable police and community safety teams to deliver a flexible approach to enforcing government restrictions on social behaviours. “We worked hard and fast on developing the new system, and to deploy it in double-quick time for our customer,” says Charlie Newman.

“I believe Disc has a great deal to offer in the current situation – and delivers both the ‘soft touch’ and the consistent approach that police forces throughout the country have been urged to adopt”.

Eleven new Disc Implementations in first two months 2020

Eleven new Disc Implementations in first two months 2020

Self-management of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in our towns and city-centres is evolving – and with it, the Disc customer-base. In the last two months, we’ve been delighted to welcome no less than 11 new Disc implementations in the last six weeks alone.

While self-management is growing, so too is the use of Disc by police forces around the country. Police have long participated as members of the Disc systems which support in excess of 500 independent Watch Groups and Business Improvement Districts throughout the UK. And now they’re investing in their own Disc systems to enhance the level of support they provide to local business crime reduction schemes.

So, welcome to the Disc system:

Cardiff BID Community

Cardiff BID has long used Disc to support its retail levy-payers. Now it has implemented a second system to extend its crime and ASB reduction scheme to non-retailers among its levy payers. That increases to six the number of Disc systems currently serving business communities throughout the South Wales police force area.

Hampshire Hotel Watch

Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has funded a Disc system to power a new Watch Group engaging with all hotels across the Hampshire Policing area. Hotels and other leisure sector businesses face their own kinds of low-level crime and ASB issues, which will be the focus of the system.

MaidSafe

One Maidstone BID has purchased Disc to support the work of Maidsafe Business Crime Reduction Partnership in Kent. MaidSafe has been in operation since 1996 and will be using Disc to take advantage of current practice and forge ahead in reducing crime.

Sutton BID

Sutton BID in south-west London has bought a second Disc system to support the further development of its crime reduction scheme for its levy-payers. The system is being administrated on behalf of the BID by the South West Business Crime Centre.

Basildon Pubwatch

The decision by Basildon Pubwatch to adopt Disc means there are now no less than seven Disc systems serving night-time economies across the county. Linked together these provide the potential for Essex Police and licencing authorities to access a wealth of low-level crime and ASB intelligence previously unavailable to them.

Hull BID

We are delighted to welcome Hull BID to our community – our first implementation in the Humberside Police force area. The BID was up-and-running with its Disc system in less than a month after we set up their new Disc ‘workspace’. And, separately, we’re looking forward to implementing our second Disc system in Humberside shortly…

Milton Keynes Partners Against Crime

Milton Keynes Business Crime Reduction scheme – Partners Against Crime – is the latest Disc system in the Thames Valley police force area where 14 Disc systems are in place across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. These implementations provide exciting opportunities for police to share local current awareness and information on prolific offenders.

Colchester Business Against Crime (ColBAC) and Braintree Against Retail & Business Crime (BARC)

Essex-based Colchester Business Against Crime (ColBAC) and Braintree Against Retail & Business Crime (BARC) have each independently signed up with Disc. ColBAC’s Disc system has been funded by Colchester BID which has already funded Disc for its night-time economy. BARC is an independent business crime reduction partnership founded in 2005, funded by member subscriptions. That makes a total of 11 Disc systems throughout the Essex policing area – four serving retail centres, seven serving the county’s pubwatches.

West Mercia Police – Wellington, Shropshire

West Mercia police have invested in their third Disc system. This implementation will serve the night-time economy in and around Wellington, bringing the total number of Disc systems serving the West Mercia police area to 10.

Aylesbury Pubwatch

Aylesbury Business Against Crime has been using Disc to manage its retail scheme for the last four years. Now the ABAC is extending its services across the town’s night-time economy.

Poole BID

We’re delighted to welcome Dorset-based Poole BID as our latest Disc user in Dorset;  the system will support levy-payers in its daytime economy.

Eight new Disc schemes for October 2019

Eight new Disc schemes for October 2019

The effect of the policing gap grows ever more prevalent in our industry. The demand for help in managing low level crime on the high street and in local communities is growing by the week and we are seeing this at Disc with more and more new implementations coming on board. We are thrilled that shopwatch, pubwatch and other crime reduction schemes are choosing to use Disc as their reporting tool of choice and even more thrilled that major retailers are also starting to see the benefits of Disc in practice.

Welcome, to our latest customers!

Major shopping centre owner/operator chooses Disc

One of the UK’s largest owner/operator of shopping centres – including some of the UK’s most iconic – has adopted Disc for its internal incident reporting and offender management system. They were impressed with Disc’s functionality and user-friendliness – but also with Disc’s policy of ‘data protection by design and default’, ensuring users’ robust alignment with all-important Data Protection obligations.  “Obviously we’re delighted,” says Charlie Newman, CEO of Littoralis, the company behind Disc, “and looking forward to seeing Disc supporting some of the best-known shopping centres and malls throughout the UK”.

High-end luxury retailer adopts Disc worldwide

One of the best-known luxury goods retailers in the world has chosen Disc to share current awareness and offender details throughout its international network of stores.  The Disc App provides accessibility for security personnel into the company’s central control room, which works 24/7 supporting its stores across the world. “The customer maintains exceptionally high levels of internal and external security so the Disc ‘secure environment’ is a natural fit” says Charlie Newman. “As a specialist retailer, it’s also subject to threat from fraudsters who target super-high-end retailers like them. Sharing current awareness through Disc as well as identities of known offenders is key for them”.

Oswestry BID becomes ninth Disc system in West Mercia

Oswestry BID has adopted Disc to support its levy-payers.  Oswestry is to use Disc to support the BID’s night-time economy.  Once that is up and running it will look at extending Disc to cover daytime levy-payers too.

Letchworth BID – from confirmation to going live in just two weeks!

How long does it take to go live after choosing to implement Disc?  For Letchworth Garden City BID (confirmed they wished to ahead with Disc on October 14th and went live on the 25th) it was less than two weeks! “Potential customers often ask us how long it will take to get Disc up and running” says Dave Jackson, Disc Customer Support Manager, “but really it entirely depends on the customer.  I think Cribbs Causeway Shopping Centre outside Bristol was up-and-running within the same kind of period, and some may have been even quicker.  But Letchworth shows just how quickly a BID can go live too.  Of course the speed of implementation depends on many factors not least of which is how much time the Administrator can devote to configuring their Disc system and adding content;  with our self-paced training manuals, new Administrators can take as much – or as little – time as they need.  It’s great to have Letchworth Garden City on board so quickly!”

Reading Business Against Crime – the twelfth Disc system in Thames Valley

Reading BID has been using Disc to support Reading’s licensees and night-time economy since 2017.  Now it has enabled Reading Business Against Crime to acquire its own Disc system to support its retailers and day-time economy.  Reading Business Against Crime becomes the 12th Disc system in the Thames Valley police area.

Soho Road BID – the fifth Disc system, in West Midlands

Soho Road BID has adopted Disc, becoming the fifth Disc system in the West Midlands police area.  The BID covers over two miles of Soho Road in Birmingham’s Handsworth area and contains some of the lowest-income communities in the UK.  With only one major multiple in the BID area (Lidl), the vast majority of levy payers are small independent retailers that make up this strongly ethnic area. “It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate how Disc can fill ‘the policing gap’ in an area which suffers more than most from displacement of offenders from other areas of the city” says Disc CEO Charlie Newman. “We’re really excited to see Disc bring the kind of benefits to Soho Road that it has delivered in more conventional town- and city-centre BIDs. Many other areas like Soho Road can benefit from the way Disc reduces low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in these vulnerable communities, and this is a great opportunity to prove it”.

Uxbridge BID – the 30th Disc system in the London/Met police area.

We’re delighted that Uxbridge BID has decided to implement Disc. It becomes the 30th Disc system implemented in the London/Met police area and will be able to share data – including current awareness by Instant Messaging and emailed Alerts, plus information to identify prolific and travelling offenders – with Disc systems in adjoining areas on a peer-to-peer basis.

Ipswich Pubwatch

Ipswich Central has been a Disc user since 2015, at first simply to link together its street wardens but more recently to share information across its retail levy-payers. Now it has invested in a second Disc system to support Ipswich Pubwatch.  Ipswich BID now has two entirely separate schemes – with different members and offenders – but both systems can be administrated through the same Disc Admin centre, making it almost as easy to manage both schemes as if it is just one.

Two new police implementations will drive down local low-level crime and ASB

Two new police implementations will drive down local low-level crime and ASB

In addition to the seven new local Disc systems announced this month (see ‘Magnificent Seven’ news item) two others show how Disc can be deployed by Police in new, innovative ways.

Disc is used in over 450 towns and city-centres across the UK to support retailers and local businesses to self-manage low level crime and anti-social behaviour in their local communities. But Disc is a highly versatile platform that can be configured to support policing too.

This month saw Sussex Police adopt two new Disc implementations, each for very different purposes:

  • To support the local Disc systems in the force area, with seamless, secure sharing of offender information, fast and effective sharing of current awareness right across the county, and consolidating locally gathered intel about low-level offenders to help identify prolific offenders and help police deploy scarce resources for maximum effectiveness.
  • To support the police’s county-wide crime reduction scheme supporting organisations in remote or rural retail areas and enable them to drive down crime and ASB and ‘target harden’ against rural crime.

Sussex Police Disc

Sussex Police has acquired its own Disc system to support the work of the 11 existing local Disc systems currently supporting town- and city-centre crime reduction schemes across the county.

This is the first ‘Police Disc’ implementation to go live and will enable police to share current awareness information with each local Disc implementation, share offender information through the Disc ‘Secure Environment’ in compliance with Management of Police Information (MOPI) and gather intelligence about offenders in order to identify prolifics or semi-professionals who can too often slip below the police ‘radar’.

This is an important step forward. It provides police with access to a ‘consolidated data-view’ of all low-level offender data collected and curated by the local partnerships as independent Data Controllers. Other benefits include online, paperless management of Information Sharing Agreements.

Sussex Countrywatch

Sussex Police have also implemented Disc to support its county-wide rural crime reduction programme. Addressing rural crime is a key priority of Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne and Disc is now an important part of that strategy.

It’s not the first time that Disc has been deployed to address rural crime and anti-social behaviour but this is the first time that a police force has adopted the system to fight rural crime county-wide. The system will link with Sussex Police’s new main Disc system for cross-Disc sharing of information and current-awareness.

Two-Step Authentication delivers enhanced data protection

Two-Step Authentication delivers enhanced data protection

More and more online service providers offer customers the option of setting up ‘Two Step Authentication’. Now Disc users can choose to adopt ‘2SA’ too.

Two-Step Authentication provides extra security online. With 2SA, users can protect their accounts by requiring anyone trying to access them to submit not just the usual email-and-password ‘credentials’ but an additional element which can only be known to the authorised user. So even if someone knows the user’s login credentials, they won’t be able to gain access to the user’s account.

This is especially useful for Administrators or Authors of Disc systems who need to access their local Disc Admin Centre through the Disc ‘Desktop’. To apply this extra layer of security, all they need to do is download an ‘Authenticator App’ onto their smartphone (there are many of them, all free of charge, from the likes of Microsoft, Google etc) and set up their account on the App.

From then on, each time the (legitimate) user logs into their Disc Desktop – to access the Admin Centre for example – a unique code is displayed in their Authenticator App. Only when the code is entered into a field displayed on the Disc Desktop can they get through.

Charlie Newman, CEO of Disc explains, “We’re really pleased to be able to announce this new security feature. We’re determined to provide the highest possible level of data security at every level within Disc. Larger corporate customers are looking for this kind of security and we’re delighted to provide it”.

To switch on Two Step Authentication, in the navigation ribbon of the Disc Desktop go to ‘More –> My Account and Security Settings’. Scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll see ‘Change Password’ and ‘Two-Step Authentication’ and follow the on-screen instructions…

Please contact us if you have any questions or need further support in setting up Two Step Authentication.

The Magnificent Seven: new Disc systems launched in August

The Magnificent Seven: new Disc systems launched in August

This month has seen seven more towns and city-centres implement the Disc online crime management service. “We’re seeing substantial growth in demand for self-management of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in communities,” says Charlie Newman of Disc, “mainly driven by spikes in crime which affect local high streets, retailers and of course the public”

“With police funding for community policing – especially for business-related low-level crime and ASB – at an all-time low and a reduction of ‘feet on the street’ to deal with this type of crime, local business communities, BIDs and private-sector crime-reduction schemes are taking pro-active, positive steps to protect both their local business community and their public with Disc.”

Bedminster

Bedminster BID was driven to get in touch in response to a sudden spike in local ASB in its area. It contacted Disc last month and its Disc system was implemented the same day.  The BID team is currently configuring its new system to meet their bespoke needs before going live and becoming the latest of nine Disc systems in the Avon & Somerset police force area.

Northallerton

Having been impressed by the Disc system in Skipton, North Yorkshire and finding that low-level crime and ASB are very much issues even in smaller towns in rural areas, Northallerton BID has decided to implement its own Disc system. “We’re especially pleased to welcome Northallerton” says Charlie Newman. “North Yorkshire is the most rural of all police forces in England and Wales and is set to benefit from Disc as much as large towns or urban areas”.

Newton Abbot

Newton Abbott Security Trust (NAST) is a great example of how a small scheme can use Disc to extend its coverage, making it more financially sustainable and effective.  Tom Hirst, Town Centre Security Manager has chosen Disc to support NAST which looks after the local shopwatch and night-time economy as well as the CCTV system around the town, but the plan is to extend the system to cover neighbouring small towns including Kingsteinton, Bovey Tracey and others.

Tom explains, “We had growing concerns about compliance with our existing paper-based system, but mostly we were drawn to Disc because of its ease-of-use and the overall professionalism of the system”.

Littlehampton

The Traders Association in this seaside town has adopted Disc to support its retailers and the wider day-time economy.  Together with two new county-wide Disc systems implemented in August by Sussex Police (see ‘Innovative Disc Implementations’ news item) the total number of Disc systems in Sussex is now 13.

Preston

The BID in Preston, managed on behalf of its levy-payers by North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, has acquired Disc to support its crime reduction programmes in the city.  Preston becomes the fifth town in Lancashire to adopt Disc and we hope to see them linked together in future to support wider information sharing across the force area…

Bristol

This new Disc implementation will support the night-time economies across two adjoining BIDs – Bristol Broadmeads (a long-time Disc user for its daytime economy) and Bristol City Centre BID (which is new to Disc).  This collaborative launch is a step forward in self-managing low-level crime at night-time ASB.  Management of the new Disc system has been outsourced to the South West Business Crime Centre.

Northampton

Northampton BID will be using its new Disc system to share ASB-related current awareness and offender data across all the BID levy-payers, most of whom are not retailers. It will link closely with the long-established retailer-only Disc system run by Northampton Business Crime Partnership for sharing current awareness information. It’s the first Disc implementation which targets anti-social behaviour only and engages with all levy-payers in a BID – not just retailers and licensees.

Littoralis, the company behind Disc, awarded ISO27001 certification

Littoralis, the company behind Disc, awarded ISO27001 certification

We are hugely proud to have been awarded ISO27001 certification – the highest, most demanding certification in the field of information security management. IT companies increasingly seek ISO27001 certification for their own operations, and larger non-IT companies increasingly require their IT service providers to show that they are certified.

The ISO27001 certification covers Littoralis itself, and our Disc crime management system which is used throughout the country by a variety of crime reduction organisations for sharing information about offenders as well as current awareness among Disc members, and direct-to-police crime reporting.  It confirms that Littoralis applies the highest standards of information security throughout its organisation.

Disc is a unique crime information-sharing system that’s helping drive down low-level crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) in more than 450 towns and cities across the UK. It empowers communities to ‘self-manage’ low-level crime and ASB, and enables police to work with them to deliver a new kind of effective, joined-up community policing. Each Disc implementation can link together into flexible networks to exchange crime and offender information locally, regionally or nationally.

Chief Executive of Littoralis, Charlie Newman explains “Compared with the types of organisations that usually achieve ISO27001 certification, we’re ridiculously small – so we’re really proud to have achieved ISO27001 certification within five months of the project being started. Big congratulations to Dave Jackson who led this project in-house for us, and thanks also to Aston InfoSec for their invaluable guidance”.

West Mercia Police launches Disc across Telford

West Mercia Police launches Disc across Telford

West Mercia Police, with the support from their Police & Crime Commissioner John Campion, have invested in more Disc systems for the Telford area.

The latest system is support Madeley Town centre and joins stand-alone systems currently operating in Telford itself, Oakengates, Wellington and Dawley.

Disc is a unique crime information-sharing system that’s helping drive down low-level crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) in more than 500 towns and cities across the UK. It empowers communities to ‘self-manage’ low-level crime and ASB, and enables police to work with them to deliver a new kind of effective, joined-up community policing. Each Disc implementation can link together into flexible networks to exchange crime and offender information locally, regionally or nationally.

Alexander Footman and his successor in post, Berwyn Pratt, have now overseen the implementation of a total of six Disc systems each deployed across a town in the Telford area.

Charlie Newman, Chief Executive of Littoralis says, “This is a great and effective way to deploy Disc across smaller towns. Using a single implementation to support individual  local crime reduction schemes not only brings professional levels of management but also ensures that all-important data protection obligations are complied with.”

He continues, “This latest roll-out of the Disc system means that there are now no less than 14 Disc systems at work across the West Mercia policing area, the largest rural force in England & Wales.  They join existing dual systems in Hereford, Shrewsbury and Oswestry, as well as the stand-alone systems in Bromsgrove, Worcester and  the six systems across Telford .  That’s a great achievement…congratulations to everyone involved!”

National Business Crime Solution chooses Disc to help members fight retail crime

National Business Crime Solution chooses Disc to help members fight retail crime

Disc is proud to have been selected as the online current awareness platform for the National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) and to play a key part in its services, not only to its members, but also to BIDs and other crime reduction schemes around the country.

NBCS enables the effective sharing of appropriate data between major retailers, the police and crime reduction schemes, and proactively targets criminality to reduce crime and risks to all. The not-for-profit organisation is funded by most of the major retailers in the UK.

Disc is delivering NBCS alerts to its members about travelling shoplifting ‘teams’, suspicious vehicles, ram-raiders, fraudsters and more. It helps NBCS send this valuable information to its members fast – the quicker it’s communicated the sooner they can protect themselves and their staff. It also provides NBCS with a simple, accessible yet powerful way to share its in-depth analysis, which helps not only protect against the impact of crime, but also assists in identifying offenders and bringing them to justice.

The information that NBCS provides to its members often contains personal data relating to known and unknown offenders. With its robust security provision and alignment with the key GDPR concept of ‘data protection by design and by default’, Disc is uniquely suited to the job. The system is already used by local retail crime reduction schemes in more than 450 towns and city-centres across the UK. For those BIDs who are themselves using Disc, alerts from NBCS can be automatically sent straight into their Disc Admin Centres so that sharing them with their members is a matter of a single mouse-click.

Charlie Newman, Chief Executive of Littoralis (the company behind Disc) explains “We have always been super-keen advocates of the NBCS. It’s always been obvious that a national information sharing system that links up retailers and police efficiently, means that both of them will become more effective in reducing business crime. It’s also obvious that local business crime partnerships have a great deal to gain from – and give to – such a scheme, and we’re proud to be helping build a closer, mutually supportive relationship between them.

“Looking ahead, we have a vision of the future which I believe aligns with NBCS’s. We’re delighted that they have put Disc at the heart of their business – but there is so much more that can be achieved and we’re looking forward to working with them on more exciting projects going forward!”

Disc’s crime reporting system tackles Hereford’s low-level crime

Disc’s crime reporting system tackles Hereford’s low-level crime

In early 2015, businesses and property owners voted to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) for the City of Hereford, with the principle aim of delivering investment and improvement to the commercial area.  Hereford BID signed up to Disc, the online crime reporting system and digital app, and with many local businesses continuing to sign up, the organisation says the area has never felt safer.

Disc is enabling retailers to be more vigilant in looking for criminal behaviour and the number of users is rapidly increasing. With an increase of 31% since January 2019,  more local businesses are actively helping to identify and report individuals involved in low level crimes such anti-social behaviour and the usage of fake currency.  With fake notes being commonly used by criminals to pay for small value items to gain genuine currency in change or to buy large value items which get sold on, it is a problem that many businesses face and one which can have a big impact on the profitability of many high street stores.

Now that businesses have access to the intelligence that the Disc crime reporting system provides and with Hereford BID working closely with the police, there is a real team effort in tacking such crimes, resulting in retailers not only being more aware but also more prepared.

If you would like a demonstration of Disc and to understand it’s benefits to local business communities and partnerships, get in touch today or book on to our of our upcoming webinars.