Building Resilience Beyond Enforcement: BCRP’s Proactive Role in Safer Business Action Week

In Brighton, the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) took the lead, partnering closely with Sussex Police and local organisations to deliver a highly effective Safer Business Action Week, showcasing our commitment to supporting businesses and enhancing community safety. This year’s programme included collaborative patrols, early interventions with young people, engagement with the street community, and proactive measures to protect and support businesses in Brighton’s busiest areas.

Day One: Business Crime Networking Event

We launched the week with the Business Crime Network Event at the Theatre Royal. The event brought together statutory agencies, local authorities, corporate partners, and charities—all dedicated to reducing harm in our community.

Representatives from Change Grow Live, the Safer Communities Team, the Trust for Developing Communities, the Business Improvement District (BID), Pagoda Security, and Resolve Security were in attendance.

The event opened with a brief introduction from BCRP and Sussex Police, setting the stage for an engaging morning of networking. Attendees were able to connect with key partners to learn more about our collaborative efforts in tackling business crime across Brighton. This event reinforced BCRP’s commitment to fostering a united approach, building a safer, more resilient community. With an open, drop-in format, it was a fantastic opportunity for partners to share resources, strengthen our joint initiatives in reducing crime, and build professional relationships.

Day Two: Early Intervention Day

Partners came together to show a broad network of support in a new radical approach to reducing harm.

Early Intervention Day centred on addressing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and safeguarding young people in Brighton’s London Road area, a known hotspot highlighted through the DISC system and Operation Apprentice reports. Led by Sarah Morris, the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership’s Daytime Intelligence Manager and Safeguarding lead, this day was an integral part of our City-Wide Youth Early Intervention Plan, a proactive approach to engage at-risk youth and prevent escalation.

This initiative brought together a wide range of partners, including Sussex Police’s youth team, the Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) with their Youth Bus team, and representatives from Dorothy Stringer School, in a coordinated effort to reduce harm and support young people. This unique gathering allowed local businesses affected by ASB to share their concerns with city services, ensuring that they felt recognised and involved in a collaborative solution. It also enabled young people to see police and support professionals interacting positively, emphasising that the police aren’t solely an enforcement presence but part of a broader support network.

Throughout the day, BCRP representatives and partners actively engaged with the community, resulting in impactful outcomes:

• Youth Interventions: Three young people were approached for ASB concerns, leading to safeguarding referrals that ensure long-term support.

• Community Engagement: BCRP conducted 13 visits to affected businesses, witnesses, and victims, providing direct assistance.

• Crime Prevention: Through coordinated efforts and live intelligence from the BCRP radio, a suspect involved in a business burglary was located and arrested with the stolen items being returned to the business.

• Youth Outreach: TDC’s Youth Bus team connected with nine young people, allowing BCRP and partners to address the root causes of ASB and prevent further harm.

This day showcased our commitment to a dual approach of support and enforcement—both recognising the vulnerability of young individuals and addressing their behaviour. By working closely with schools like Dorothy Stringer, under our newly established data-sharing agreements, the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership are pioneering early safeguarding responses that identify and support children at risk before escalation. We aim to replicate this approach with other schools across the city, making it a core part of Brighton’s strategy to address youth crime.

This preventative framework, developed by Sarah Morris and supported by key stakeholders since 2022, is shifting Brighton’s response to youth ASB from reactive to proactive. As demonstrated through this day’s impactful actions, our work is driven by the belief that early intervention, professional collaboration, and community engagement are essential to building safer environments for both young people and businesses. You can read more about this, on our Early Intervention Plan page.

Day Three: Targeting High Harm Hotspots and Supporting Vulnerable Individuals

Day Three focused on another high-harm hotspot identified by the local community: New Road. BCRP, in collaboration with Sussex Police and Change Grow Live (CGL), carried out targeted patrols to engage with the victims of crime and anti-social behaviour—local businesses impacted by ongoing issues in the area.

As we patrolled, our team reached out to these businesses to provide support and gather intelligence on the issues they were facing. At the same time, we engaged directly with individuals who were at risk of exploitation or involved in harmful behaviours. Through our partnership with CGL, we were able to connect these individuals with rehabilitation options, including housing support and pathways to recovery.

Targeted patrols to listen to victims and offer support from the wider partnership network.

In addition, we provided businesses with information on the services available to both prevent further harm and support individuals who may need help. This proactive, community-led approach aimed not only to address immediate issues of crime and anti-social behaviour but also to tackle the root causes by ensuring that those at risk had access to the appropriate support systems to break the cycle of harm.

Following these visits and patrols, the BCRP coordinated visits to high-support accommodation providers in the area. We spoke with staff members and were given a tour of the service, including being shown the needle-exchange offered to residents each Wednesday. Whilst there, we were able to engage directly with some key individuals whose behaviours have been identified as emerging concerns for the community. By engaging directly, we aim to prevent ongoing harm.

To end the day, the team conducted high-visibility patrols at Brighton Station, focusing on individuals with active Community Protection Notices (CPNs) to ensure they were not in the area engaging in disruptive behaviours such as begging from businesses and the public. The patrols also provided an opportunity to engage with local businesses, reinforcing a safer environment.

Day Four: Enhanced Operation Apprentice Day

Operation Apprentice is a collaborative, intelligence-led initiative spearheaded by BCRP in partnership with Sussex Police and other stakeholders. The aim of Operation Apprentice is to share intelligence, identify emerging crime trends, and prioritise areas and individuals causing the most harm. Business members report incidents through the DISC system, and these reports are reviewed in partnership meetings where agencies collaboratively assess the highest-priority issues. Weekly “days of action” are then implemented, during which the BCRP Field Officer, Sussex Police, and partner representatives engage in problem-solving, evidence gathering, and enforcement efforts, enhancing the safety and resilience of the community.

During Safer Business Action Week (SABA), Day Four was designated as an Enhanced Operation Apprentice Day—a heightened level of focus and coordination within the Operation Apprentice framework. This “enhanced” day served as an intensified period of action aimed at addressing repeat offenders who were actively harming local businesses. The BCRP and Sussex Police coordinated efforts that led to the arrest of two priority individuals, demonstrating the strength of BCRP’s data-driven approach to business crime reduction.

Through targeted support on this day, the BCRP was able to respond swiftly to businesses impacted by these offenders, helping to restore safety and bolster the resilience of partnership members. By “cranking up the lever” of Operation Apprentice, BCRP and its partners showcased their unified, proactive approach to safeguarding Brighton’s business community, providing not only immediate relief to affected businesses but also reinforcing long-term safety measures for the city’s economic heart.

Days Five and Six: Community Engagement and Partnership Building

To conclude the week, BCRP and police colleagues conducted outreach in central Brighton, promoting the Shop Kind initiative, offering crime prevention training, and encouraging businesses to join BCRP in our ongoing work to reduce harm. With the arrest of a third key individual, BCRP’s work further demonstrated our commitment to creating a safe, supportive environment for local businesses and residents.

Throughout Safer Business Action Week, the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership took a leading role in planning and executing initiatives aimed at proactively reducing crime and enhancing community safety. With Sussex Police focusing on enforcement, BCRP, led by Sarah and Nick, drove early intervention efforts and strengthened strategic partnerships. This approach not only addressed immediate concerns but also reinforced BCRP’s commitment to a safer, more resilient Brighton, creating a foundation for ongoing community trust and collaborative problem-solving.