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”.