As featured recently in the print issue of Professional Security Magazine, the business crime initiative of the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) has merged with Action Against Business Crime (AABC) to create ABCP.
This will create a single national body to represent the interests of BCRPs to ACPO and the Home Office, both of whom have pledged support for the new organisation. This will enhance the ability of ABCP to continue to campaign on behalf of BCRPs, to keep business crime on the agenda of the police and government and to enhance our ability to develop initiatives in support of those objectives.
One immediate change is the establishment of a new board of management for ABCP. There will be no financial or other changes for existing members of AABC. Lord Dear has agreed to remain as chairman of the new organisation, and following his resignation as AABC chief executive, William Price, who joined Ladbrokes Plc as their the money laundering reporting officer at the end of May, has agreed to remain as a director of the new organisation to represent Ladbrokes.
Lord Dear said: ‘William was instrumental in the merger of AABC and ATCM’s BCI into ABCP and has now left us to take up his new post. I would like to put on record my personal thanks to William for all that he has done during his time at AABC and to support me in my role as chairman. Throughout his time he has been hugely influential and closely involved in the discussions with ATCM, Home Office and ACPO to bring about this amicable merger.’
Richard Barron, who was previously a regional manager for AABC has joined ABCP as a director and has been appointed as company secretary. Other appointments and developemnts of the new organisation will be announced as they are agreed by the new board.
Lord Dear said: ‘The merger has achieved a significant synergy by this move, which will strengthen our ability to present a united front when talking to government and ACPO. This is important if we are to attract wider support in the future.’
