Business PACT

Business P.A.C.T – which stands for Preventing Anti-social Crime Together, is The Vale of Glamorgan Business Crime Reduction Partnership. The scheme involves businesses working with the community to reduce all forms of business crime and crime that affects our community. Business PACT is run by businesses for businesses and is assisted by the Police and other local agencies. The partnership works closely with the Safer Vale Partnership.
Business PACT involves businesses working with each other for each other.

Business PACT which is not to be confused with the Safer Vale Partnership’s PACT, was initially set up in the Barry area in 2005 and later went on to involve businesses in the Culverhouse Cross area. It is the eventual aim of Business PACT to incorporate all businesses across the Vale of Glamorgan.

Business PACT is managed by a Board of Management and Committee, who oversee the aims and objectives of the scheme. Representatives from both businesses and community groups sit on the Committee which allows partnership working to work at its best in tackling business crime.

These businesses include:
• supermarkets, • retail premises, • off licenses, • pubs, • clubs, • transport companies, •car parks & • hotels.

It is the aim of the Business PACT to:

• Reduce and prevent criminality and anti-social behaviour by reducing the opportunity to commit crime in the Vale of Glamorgan.
• Assist in the apprehension and prosecution of offenders and suspected offenders.
• Exclude persistent criminals, troublemakers and thieves from members’ premises.
• Share information and photographs with members reference persistent criminals, troublemakers and thieves.
• Reduce the fear of crime and the effects of the fear of crime.
• Reduce members’ losses caused by crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Create a “safe and secure” environment for customers, staff and visitors and to contribute to the economic viability and prosperity of the Vale of Glamorgan.
• Expand the partnership to encompass a wide a range of business sectors as possible.
• Strengthen partnership working with the business community, police, local authority and other key agencies and organisations.

What is Involved:

• CCTV – coverage of business areas (where available) in the Barry area.

• Radio Link System – linking in with businesses, CCTV, Police and Visible Services. This allows regular communication to flow. Radios contain a panic alarm button feature.

• Photograph and information sharing on offenders who commit business crime offences and act in an anti-social manner. Businesses are required to receive training in the 1998 Data Protection Act and sign data integrity forms before information is released.

• PACT Incident Report Forms – members complete these every time they have an incident at their premises. By reporting incidents to the partnership it allows other members to become aware of offenders active in the area. The forms are put before the committee to decide on the course of action to take, be that a Warning Notice or Exclusion Notice.

• Warning Notices – are issued for less serious offences. If an offender continues to act inappropriately after receipt of the Notice then they will be excluded.

• Exclusion Notices – the Exclusion Notice scheme is supported by the Police and is a civil agreement made between the members of the Business PACT Partnership. It is a process that involves excluding offenders or troublemakers from all members’ premises. Members are expected to exclude offenders who may not have necessarily committed an offence in their premises, but have committed an offence in that of another member. The simple message is “banned from one, banned from all”.

• Anti-social Behaviour Orders – ASBO referrals are submitted to the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit to take action against offenders who act in an anti-social manner in business areas.

• Spittle Kits – allows members to take a DNA spit sample should they encounter a spitting incident at their premises. Training and kits provided.
  
  
• The business members think that PACT is an ideal way to try and tackle business crime in their areas. Business PACT provides businesses with information and photographers on offenders, making businesses aware of the troublemakers before they enter premises. Particularly having the radio, as members get alerted to the problems that are occurring all over Barry and are told if an offender is making their way towards a members’ location.
  
  
• Due to access to the photographs and information, members are able to observe offenders and witness those committing crimes. This has led to more offenders being arrested and prosecuted for offences.
  
  
• Members are taking positive action to make a difference in their areas.
  
  
• Members are reporting a reduction in types of incidents and stock loss.
  
  
• Businesses and staff are feeling safer in Barry and Culverhouse Cross.
  
  
• Assisting in identifying travelling criminals – offenders are travelling from Cardiff, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Newport and Cwmbran are committing offences in the area.
  
  
• Links with Visible Services on the radio link system. Visible Services are able to deal with issues such as dog fouling, graffiti, fly tipping, etc. Issue fixed penalty notices to offenders.