Safety and Security in Stevenage Town Centre
The Stevenage Town Centre Management Company works in partnership with the Police, the CCTV Control Room and the Town Centre Warden to ensure that visitors and residents feel safe and secure in the town centre.
The Town Centre Shop Radio Link, which was established in 1996, allows the rapid dissemination of information regarding incidents and suspects between members. Subjects can be monitored as they progress around the Town Centre. It also assists when dealing with first aid requests and missing persons.
In August 1997, the Retail Crime Operation (RCO) was launched. Controlled by the Police, it consists of a photograph file of known, persistent offenders that are active within the area. These photographs are distributed to the Retailers who are members of RACS on a monthly basis, giving them the opportunity to react accordingly should an offender enter their premises.
In January 1999, Retailers Against Crime in Stevenage (RACS) was formed and is a partnership between retailers and the Police to fight crime and fear of crime in Stevenage. The RACS co-ordinator gathers data on incidents within the Town Centre and supplies this intelligence to the Police and members of RACS.
In August 1999, RACS introduced Exclusion Orders. These exclude persistent offenders from all members’ premises within the Town Centre, thus reducing the threat of violence against shop staff and theft from stores. Without an Exclusion Order, an offender who commits a theft in a store would be charged with shop theft. However, with the issue of an Exclusion Order, the offender would be charged with burglary, which carries a greater sentence.
In February 2001, the first Anti Social Behaviour Orders against persistent offenders were issued, using intelligence gathered by RACS. The evidence is passed to the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, made up of County Council, Borough Council members and the Police. The Council’s Solicitor can then prepare a court case using this evidence and request the issue of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order. This imposes specific conditions upon the offender and if these are breached, the offender may be given a custodial sentence.
In May 2002, the Home Office and British Retail Consortium awarded the “Safer Shopping Award” to Stevenage.
Together with CCTV coverage, the car valeting service, with its continuous presence of uniformed staff has virtually eliminated car crime in the car parks where they operate.
Stevenage has two dedicated Town Centre Policemen and two Police Community Support Officers and the introduction of 24 Closed Circuit Television Surveillance cameras, has proved to be the single most effective crime reduction measure in Stevenage Town Centre.
The introduction of a dedicated Town Centre Enforcement Officer, ridding the Town Centre of illegal street traders, pouncers, beggars, cyclists and skateboarders and the abolishment of A-Boards in the main trading areas of Stevenage Town Centre, has increased safety for shoppers, particularly those with disabilities or impaired vision.
