Police brief local firms on how to reduce crime in the area
On Thursday 27th May, at St Saviour's Church Parish Hall, Ealing Broadway W5, Ealing police officers launched a new initiative called Ealing Business Watch.
The event was split in two parts. The first part was aimed at retail businesses. This was followed be another meeting in the afternoon for the representatives of local restaurants and cafes.
PC Isabel Rodriguez and PCSO Vinay Sharma representing police in Ealing were joined by Boota Samra from Trading Standards Agency, Neil Howard from Ealing Council CCTV unit and Steve Breen from Business Improvement District.
The aim of this event was to introduce police in Ealing to businesses and to explain what police can do for them in a fight against crime. Police officers gave a brief review of the current situation with regards to criminal activities related to the retail sector and arrest rates, together with some crime prevention and personal safety advice. This was followed by a question and answer session.
Everyone attending the meeting received a bag containing various information including an introduction to EBBAC - Ealing Broadway Businesses Against Crime and results of research carried out on crime patterns just to mention. Brief information on the timing of criminal activity and the kinds of products deemed most likely to be stolen from their shops/stores was also relayed.
Retailers and shop keepers who would like to participate in the scheme will be provided with walkie-talkies which can be used to warn others about any problems they may be experiencing.
Boota Samra, Trading Standards officer explained the role of his team and the approach they are taking to tackle retail related crime. Neill Howard introduced Ealing Council’s CCTV unit. He talked about how many team members they had, where they are based, how they run about 400 CCTV cameras, monitor situations on a daily basis and support Metropolitan Police control room in Hendon.
PC Isabel Rodriguez-Calvo said: “The idea of setting this up was to reassure everyone working in the shopping centre are that there is a dedicated team working together to make their environment a safer place to work.”
PCSO Sharma Vinay added: “It is reassuring for local shopkeepers and retailers to know that the problem of crime in retail sector is now being dealt with not only by the local police but also by a dedicated Security Team, town centre rangers and Ealing Council.”
June 11, 2009