Covent Garden Business Watch & Office Watch

Retail crime, shop theft and the fraudulent use of credit cards, forms a major fund-raising activity for the purchase of drugs. In an area where levels of drug use and sale are relatively high, due to the drug-market around Centrepoint, many joint measures and operations have and will continue to take place with Camden Borough Police, the Camden and Islington Drug Action Team, the Camden and Islington Health Authority, the London Borough of Camden and Business Against Crime operating within a partnership framework specifically to tackle drug-related crime.

Some projects, like the hoarding-off of areas used by addicts and dealers, the re-development of the St. Giles-in-the-Fields churchyard, the closing of public toilets used as 'shooting galleries', high visibility patrolling including the deployment of officers from the Ministry of Defence Police and British Transport Police are obvious and easily seen. These measures are all aimed at either the source of the problem or offenders, or a specific location where criminal activity occurs. Others, like the medium and long-term projects also underway take place out of the glare of publicity. Business Watch and Office Watch, aimed at retail and commercial premises respectively, are aimed at the victims of offences and at 'choking off' a source of funding to the drug trade.

As part of these programmes, "Best Evidence Training" is offered, which is designed to give practical and relevant training to all staff which not only enhances their skill-base but increases their confidence and motivation. Elements include 'Plastic Card Fraud', 'Gathering, Preserving and Recording Evidence', 'Confrontation Management', 'Powers of detention, Search and Arrest', 'Theft Awareness' and others. These can all be tailored into stand-alone or a series of modules designed to meet the staff availability and time-scales of individual organisations. Business Watch modules have been developed in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and those for Office Watch with the Ministry of Defence Police and all are delivered by police officers.

The coming year will see the implementation of many projects, some running for three years, specifically aimed at drug-related crime, which causes such a high level of 'collateral damage' to the community in which the drug-market is located. Business Watch, Office Watch and Best Evidence Training must be considered as meaningful components in this activity. For further information about either scheme, or to arrange training sessions, call the CGCA on 020 7209 1649.

Mike Marlow

 

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