A scheme aimed at cutting retail crime is set to be re-launched in East Northamptonshire.
The Wellingborough and East Northants Partners Against Crime (WENPAC) partnership was originally launched in 2003 and at its height had 54 members in East Northants.
In recent years the number of participants has dropped to 39 and officers want to see more businesses in Rushden and Higham Ferrers sign up to the scheme, which was set up to combat crime and disorder with colleagues in Wellingborough, making the three towns more difficult places for retail criminals to operate in.
Through the partnership, retailers share information and intelligence on offenders and crime trends, with the aim of raising awareness and preventing criminals from being able to operate in the area.
To encourage stores to join or to re join, Sergeant Nick Price from the East Northants South Safer Community Teams has agreed to sit on the East Northants WENPAC steering group and with PCSO Kev Lumbis will seek to generate more interest in the scheme.
Sgt Price said: “By joining forces, retailers in Rushden and Higham Ferrers will be in a much stronger position to fight against and deter criminals from working in their areas. To date we have obtained three CRASBO orders on offenders and have excluded 35 known offenders from the member stores in the scheme.
“Retailers working in partnership will be able to share intelligence and ideas with each other. They will all have information and pictures of target criminals and hopefully, power to ban offenders from all stores in the area. This can only help us to achieve the aim we all share of making Rushden and Higham Ferrers safer and more pleasant places to shop, work and live.”
Any retailers interested in joining WENPAC, or finding out more, can contact co-ordinator Sue Marsden on (01933) 224825 or PCSO Lumbis at Rushden Police Station on 08453 700 700.
