Clacton's Counter Crime Partnership launching new 'pub-link' scheme

The Counter Crime Partnership (CCP) in Clacton is a network of almost 60 businesses, mainly in shops and other day-time outlets.

In June it launched a ‘banned from one, banned from all' scheme to help fight retail crime, with shoplifting deterrence stickers at retail entrances.

Now the CPP is sending out survey cards to licensees and managers across Clacton, Jaywick and Holland-on-Sea to find out what services they would be interested in.

Once the first phase of responses has been received, a meeting is planned at My Big Fat Greek Taverna, owned by Jason Smedley.

He said: “I can’t wait to be part of making shops, bars and restaurants safer in Clacton."

Free membership will give members access to measures approved by the National Association of Business Crime Partnerships, which the CCP is part of.

There will also be an information sharing agreement in place to identify offenders.

Idea - CCP's 'Pub link' (Image: CCP)

For less than £5 per month, members will get real time access to the SentrySIS offender database which businesses can access using a mobile phone or computer to look up profiles, as well as adding incidents and proposing exclusions themselves.

For about £35 a month, members will be given a radio to warn each other about troublemakers.

The group says it is easier to turn people away at the door than ask them to leave once inside.

Supporter - Jason Smedley, owner of The Royal Hotel and My Big Fat Greek Taverna, with a CCP Radio (Image: CCP)

One of the questions in the survey will also ask potential members if they would prefer their own channel or to share with the other businesses.

CCP founder Scott Pepper said: “Being part of a national association also means we will be kept up to date with ideas being tried in other areas.

“This includes live facial recognition body-worn cameras currently being successfully trialled in Southampton.”