The annual Action Against Business Crime (AABC) conference gets down to business in Liverpool on Thursday, February 22.
It runs at the Princess Royal Stand at Aintree Racecourse. Organisers say that the theme for the 2007 conference is unashamedly pragmatic, dealing with the primary objectives for partnerships – building them into larger more successful businesses. Last year’s conference in Birmingham looked at issues for partnerships in their infancy; for 2007, AABC is discussing how established partnerships should advance. What are the development opportunities? And what might be the challenges?
Excellence awards
Partnership Excellence Awards are running for a second year in association with Professional Security. The AABC conference is also the occasion to celebrate partnership working, and their contributions. Like the 2006 awards, there are categories for promoting community safety, managing the evening economy and partnership innovation, plus an overall winner, which last year was the Somerset town of Glastonbury. As organisers stress, business crime reduction benefits large and small businesses alike. Time is running out to enter, so for more details contact AABC.
Chester speaker
Bob Lelliott, Business Crime Manager, Chester Against Business Crime (CABC) is to discuss the hows and whys of setting up a partnership, the challenges, lessons so far, and successes to date, including the NBIS software (National Business Information System, from Hicom), used to collate data about offenders. He told Professional Security: “Chester is a small city, but it does has many attractions with over nine million visitors a year from all over the globe. Unfortunately it also attracts shoplifters regionally and nationally who view it as an affluent city. We have a very good partnership here where the security staff from all the stores work very closely together.” CABC gained the Safer Business Award from AABC in June 2005.
More speakers
Among invited speakers are Bernard Hogan-Howe, Merseyside Chief Constable; Jack Stopforth, Chief Executive Officer, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce; the city chamber is behind the crime reduction and advice service Business Crime Direct. Also speaking: Pym Brewer, Intelligence Officer, Thanet Safe; and on the night-time economy, Nigel Bailey, Chief Executive, Pubwatch, who as mentioned last issue have their annual conference in Coventry on February 20. Software provider Hicom and Lambeth Business Against Crime Partnership will discuss sharing crime data; Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service will cover protecting premises; and ACPO Crime Prevention Initiatives Limited will go through their Secured by Design scheme. p
About AABC: Founded in 2004, the national organisation for business crime reduction partnerships (BCRPs), it’s also a partnership between the British Retail Consortium and the Home Office to expand the work and impact of BCRPs. AABC provides a national focus for efforts of business crime partnerships working to reduce crime against business across the country. For details, contact Samantha Bone at AABC, 21 Dartmouth Street, London SW1H 9BP. Ring 020 7854 8957; mail samantha.bone@ businesscrime.org.uk
