Quality Streets: Improved crime reduction services for businesses | Latest news

On behalf of the wider partnership, Arun District Council is announcing an important development for businesses with the launch of the Arun Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP).

The initiative is one of a number of actions partners are working on together to deliver quality streets across the district's town centres. The BCRP provides reporting tools and in-person support to reduce the gap between the number of incidents businesses say are taking place in their premises and the town centres, and reports sent to the police in a way they can follow up on or use to evidence the need for more resources. 

While crime reduction services have been available to businesses in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis town centres for several years - funded and delivered by the Business Improvement District in Bognor Regis, and funded by Arun District Council and operated by volunteers in Littlehampton - this is the first time the initiative has been formally staffed or covered both areas. Membership of the scheme is provided at no additional cost to businesses.    

The launch of the new partnership takes place during the first National BCRP Awareness Week. The Awareness Week will also see increased patrols, with Police Officers and Community Wardens raising the profile of the BCRP with town centre businesses and highlighting the ways that accurate information sharing supports local communities. 

Funding for the BCRP

The Arun BCRP is funded by a partnership between Arun District Council, Bognor Regis Business Improvement District, Littlehampton Town Council, the Safer Arun Partnership and Sussex Police. These partners have been working together behind the scenes to secure support and funding for the project since 2022. 

In its first year, the BCRP's focus will be on the priority areas of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton town centres. However, based on the success of the first year, and securing support from other funding partners, the long-term aim is to extend the offer to businesses across the district.  

Full Time BCRP Manager 

The day-to-day operations of the Arun BCRP are delivered by a dedicated, full time BCRP Manager whose time is split equally between issues affecting the two focus areas of Littlehampton and Bognor Regis town centres. This includes a physical presence in both town centres over the course of their working week, as well as regular meetings with Arun District Council's Community Safety Team, Sussex Police and the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner's Office. 

Information Sharing and Reporting Tools

The BCRP gives businesses access to a data compliant app called DISC. Businesses use this app to share information with other businesses and report incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour taking place in their premises to the BCRP Manager, and to Sussex Police through a secure link. 

Until recently, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton had their own, separate DISC platforms. Under the new arrangements, businesses from both towns report to one platform, but only see information relevant to their location, and the sector they operate in. The DISC platform is also the main channel the BCRP Manager uses to share information about successes, alerts, local news and opportunities to attend events and meetings about business crime. 

Business-led partnership

The Arun BCRP has been set up as a standalone business association, with its own operating rules and governance structure. It exists completely separately from the various funding organisations and does not have any political ties.  

The Arun BCRP's Management Board is led by representatives of businesses from Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, and only these business representatives can vote when operational decisions need to be made. Officers from the local funding partners attend these business-led meetings in an information sharing and advisory capacity.

These officers then update their respective organisations through the separate Arun BCRP Partnership Board who assess whether the funding is leading to improved quantity and quality of reporting of incidents taking place and make sure it is providing value for money. The Partnership Board is led by elected members, senior officers and officials representing the various funding partners, again supported by officers who attend in an information sharing and advisory capacity. 

Any businesses with physical premises in and around Littlehampton and Bognor Regis town centres interested in joining the scheme should email arunbcrp@arun.gov.uk for further information.