The SaferLambeth Business Award/ Safe In Doors scheme has been developed by Lambeth Business Against Crime (LBAC) and the MPS Serious and Organised Crime Group (the Flying Squad).
Believed to be the first of its kind in the country, the award offers ‘health checks’ to local businesses which get them thinking about the simple things they can do to protect their property and staff. It has been specifically designed to prevent commercial and armed robbery and encourage businesses of all sizes to think actively about building safe and secure public spaces.
Mark Beale, crime prevention co-ordinator for the Flying Squad, said: "This scheme benefits local retailers because it reduces the chances of crimes being committed against their premises." The second arm, Safe In Doors, provides training for businesses to become safe havens where victims of crime can wait for the emergency services.
Stephen Govier, LBAC co-ordinator, said: "We recently had the case of a victim of a serious assault who went into a fast food restaurant in Lambeth for help and staff refused to even dial 999. We want to have a network of businesses, clearly signed, where people who have been victims of crime can go to get help and refuge while they wait for the emergency services."
To qualify for the scheme a business must be a member of Lambeth’s Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) and agree to information sharing and partnership working. Mark Bennett, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said: "This new initiative helps businesses protect themselves and their staff from thieves and it provides a new level of support for victims of crime on the streets. By all working together we can defeat crime."
The scheme will be launched at a Business in Partnership breakfast event at Lambeth Town Hall on 30 May, hosted by Lambeth’s Chief Executive Derrick Anderson and Martin Bridger, Lambeth Police Borough Commander. The breakfast morning is free and open to everyone in the business community in Lambeth.
