The Scottish Business Crime Centre is a non-profit making organisation created in 1976 under the Business Crime Reduction Strategy for Scotland, to establish a partnership approach between police, business community and Government.
The main function of the Centre is to provide practical advice to the business and commercial sectors on how to develop business crime reduction and prevention strategies.
Through partnership working the Scottish Business Crime Centre also assists in setting up and supporting a number of community safety and crime reduction initiatives in cities and towns throughout Scotland. These initiatives focus on both the daytime and evening economy and are designed to make Scotland’s cities and towns’ safer places to work, visit and socialise in.
One of the initiatives coordinated by the Scottish Business Crime Centre in Scotland is the Best Bar None Awards scheme. Pioneered in 2003 by Greater Manchester Police, it’s a means of promoting positive relations between the licensed trade and local partner agencies.
It was introduced to Scotland in 2005, in Glasgow and, following its success there, the scheme was rolled out to a number of cites and towns throughout Scotland.
This initiative is sponsored in Scotland by drinks firm Diageo and The Scottish Government and all the funding from these partners is reinvested in towns and cities to help reduce alcohol fuelled violence and behaviour and to meet The Scottish Government’s aims of making Scotland safer.
The initiative is aimed at promoting responsible management and operation of licensed premises and although no one can guarantee that their patrons won’t experience problems on a night out, venues that have achieved Best Bar None accreditation have demonstrated additional commitment to making sure that their customers have the best experience possible in comfortable and safer surroundings, whilst at the same time taking robust action to discourage binge drinking and prevent alcohol-related crime and disorder.
The reward for qualifying for a Best Bar None award is the prestige of being part of a locally and nationally recognised initiative and the publicity this entails through media and national websites. The Scottish experience of Best Bar None shows that it encourages licensees to act responsibly and take pride in their premises and surroundings and, in doing so, allows them to put something back into their local community.
The scheme recognises and gives accreditation to licensed premises that attain standards in safety and security within their premises. Awards are presented after inspection of the premises to ensure they meet or exceed a national standard.
The initiative is described as an example of partnership working between local authorities, police, fire and rescue services and licensed premises to promote customer care and ensure the responsible consumption of alcohol in a safe and secure environment.
This scheme focuses on:
? Prevention of crime and disorder
? Public safety
? Prevention of public nuisance
? Protection of children from harm
? Promotion of public health
The scheme seeks to encourage licensees to go beyond what is required by law to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for their customers and rewarding the management and staff of the premises with the presentation of a plaque at an awards ceremony.
This initiative has continued to develop and since its launch more that 320 premises in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth, Stirling and West Lothian have achieved accreditation – and it is anticipated that this growth will continue.
The Scottish Government Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, Chief Constable David Strang, Lothian and Borders Police, local politicians, local government partners and senior Fire and Rescue Service officers joined an audience at Livingston’s Centex Centre recently to mark the 33 licensed venues in West Lothian who received Best Bar None awards.
Chief Superintendent Ronnie Liddle of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "The Best Bar None scheme allows Community Police Officers to work with the licensed trade to reduce crime and disorder in and around licensed venues by promoting best practice and giving licensed venues the benefit of police and fire service advice on all aspects of community safety. It reassures the public that their safety matters to those running the venue and it should ensure that they make it home safely after a night out in West Lothian."
Thirteen venues achieved accreditation in 2008 as opposed to 33 premises in 2009, demonstrating that all the agencies involved are committed to ensuring a safer nighttime environment in West Lothian. Councillor John Cochrane, Chair of the West Lothian Licensing Board, said: "The Best Bar None scheme has my full support.
"All the premises taking part have demonstrated their commitment to the scheme, proving their dedication to customer safety and security. I’m delighted to see premises working in partnership with agencies like the Police and the Council to make sure West Lothian is a safe place for all."
For further information contact the Scottish Business Crime Centre, Unit 10 Alpha Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, FK9 4NF. Telephone: 01786 447441. Website:
