Facewatch initiative aims to tackle business and retail crime

Having attended the UK National Community Safety Network conference last month, Cllr Junior McCrum and Mr Jonathan Murphy, the Banbridge PCSP Chair and Vice-Chair respectively, identified a number of projects and initiatives that could be progressed within the Banbridge District.

One of these was FaceWatch, an online system for reporting low level business crime to the police.

FaceWatch is currently due to be piloted in Belfast’s Castle Court shopping centre but it has been suggested The Outlet at Bridgewater Park, Banbridge would provide an excellent second pilot site outside of Belfast.

The benefits of the FaceWatch system were supported by the PSNI at a recent seminar organised by the Department of Justice and themed around crime prevention advice for the retail trade.

This seminar was attended by Mr Murphy and by Mrs Roisin McAleenan, a Banbridge PCSP Independent Member and a local businesswoman based in Banbridge town.

A meeting to discuss progressing FaceWatch as a Banbridge PCSP local delivery project is scheduled for early next month.

Meetings

In the meantime, the PCSP has held initial meetings with the Banbridge Chamber of Commerce and with Banbridge District Council Town Centre Manager.

Mrs McAleenan will be chairing a PCSP Business Crime sub-group to identify priority areas and target projects, events and activities that could be supported by the PCSP to help small and medium enterprises across the District in preventing and reducing business and retail crime.

For further information about Banbridge PCSP, the projects, events and activities that it supports, please contact the PCSP staffing team on Tel: 028 4062 0245 or Email: [email protected]