How City Safe is transforming the streets of Gloucester

Gloucester BID is working hard to ensure the city feels safe for visitors, businesses and residents.

Working closely with Gloucester City Safe, City Safe manager Steve Lindsay explains how the partnership is boosting the profitability of businesses.

When was Gloucester City Safe introduced and what’s it all about?

Gloucester City Safe was launched on 1 May 2014 and is a not-for-profit Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP).

The aim of our scheme is to bring together businesses from the day and night-time economies to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour by working more effectively through coordination and forging strong partnerships between Gloucester BID, local businesses, local authority and the police, to create a safe and stable business environment.

Membership to City Safe has grown rapidly since its launch and we now have more than 300 members from a variety of businesses in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Stroud including shops, pubs, clubs, takeaways and transport services.

How important is Gloucester City Safe?

Crime and fear of crime have a negative impact on the profitability of businesses.

We can help reduce shoplifting, alcohol-related disorder, street drinking, begging, youth disorder, vandalism and graffiti.

Areas that operate a BCRP see a reduction in business crime, whilst individual businesses that become members and take an active part in the scheme see a significant reduction of incidents.

Communications are central to maintaining a safer business community. All members have exclusive access to a state-of-the-art website, providing accurate intelligence and up-to-date images of all offenders, subject to warnings, exclusion and criminal behaviour orders. The site is GDPR accredited and password protected for data protection and security.

All members are linked via a Radio Management System which allows them to communicate between other City Safe members, the Police and Police CCTV.

All members have access to a free radio handset, supplied by Gloucester City Safe, and the radio system is the only system that has direct contact with Gloucester and Stroud Police and CCTV networks.

The BCRP is a partnership-based approach to preventing crime and disorder. The partnership, at its simplest, is an intelligence gathering and information sharing system that enables the effective prevention of crime and disorder. We increase profitability by reducing crime, the fear of crime, stock losses and anti-social behaviour.

Membership of the yellow card exclusion scheme, means members can issue yellow cards to offenders involved in crime, disorder or ASB in or near their premises. In most cases, two yellow cards lead to an exclusion from the premises of all members and such exclusions will be swiftly imposed.

Members get representation in court regarding business impact statements for criminal behaviour orders banning offenders from the town. There are also weekly newsletters, keeping everyone in the loop.

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What kind of a difference has it made to the city?

The City Protection Officers (CPOs) are invaluable to the scheme as they provide a high-visibility patrol in the city, seven days a week.

The radio systems provide shop staff and businesses with safety reassurance; and the DISC intelligence App and messaging is a great way to securely share information in the prevention and detection of crime.  

What are the big goals for the next 12 months and beyond?

Funding is a big issue, especially around the CPOs. Up until January 2024 we had two teams, so four CPOs covering the city centre and the Kingsholm and London Road areas.

Unfortunately, the funding ran out for the second team, therefore we are down to just two CPOs now and they are very busy each day. You only have to hear the City Safe radio in the city centre.

We are looking to support the Best Bar None initiative and working with the Hollie Gazzard Trust, Gloucester BID and Gloucester City Council in bringing this scheme back to the city.

How do you measure the success of City Safe?

For the last 10 years, we have worked with the University of Gloucestershire criminology and sociology students who survey members and partners, we then receive a very detailed report with recommendations.

There are also weekly Huddle meetings with members and partner agencies to discuss issues which require addressing each week, working in close partnership with other agencies.

What are you most proud about the partnership having achieved?

We have a strong partnership with Gloucester BID, which is great to see with all of the businesses coming together.

We have also been involved in a number of pre-planned operations with the local policing team and city council.

Looking to the future, if you could wave a magic wand, what would you want to see for the city?

More funding for CPOs, enhanced radio system for business and looking into the new facial recognition technology — unfortunately, all of this requires money.

Is there anything about City Safe we haven’t covered that you’d like to highlight?

City Safe and Gloucester BID also manage and support the night safe officers (NSO) and street medics, which many people don't realise.

We have also been successful in working with Rotary clubs and Kier in installing a number of 24/7 access defibrillators in and around Gloucester city centre.