Businesses across Derbyshire joined policing experts and security leaders for a unique event showcasing the latest strategies and technologies to disrupt and solve retail crime.
The event, hosted by Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Fatima Eltinay at the Old Bell Hotel in Derby, was held during Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRP) Awareness Week as part of the Fight Back Against Retail Crime (FBARC) campaign – a national initiative aimed at bringing together retailers, police, BCRPs, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and security providers to adopt a unified and coordinated approach to preventing retail crime.
Delegates had the opportunity of listening to key speakers about the work currently underway across the county to reduce retail and business crime and the tactics being employed by local policing teams to disrupt prolific offenders as well as those using or threatening violence against shopworkers.
The event also highlighted the work of BCRPs and featured demonstrations from the security industry on the latest crime prevention solutions and technologies alongside exhibition stalls and networking opportunities.
The PCC recently brought the Derbyshire BCRP into her office, indicating her determination to be an active partner in efforts to address business and retail crime and increase support for the business community.
In her Police and Crime Plan, the Commissioner vowed to ensure business and retail crime are tackled across Derby and Derbyshire while seeking to improve the reporting of incidents through technology under her Anti-Social Behaviour and Community Safety priority.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Fatima Eltinay said: “It was a privilege to welcome so many retailers, businesses, security representatives and policing experts to this event to showcase the advances being made to tackle retail and business crime locally.
“Public engagement is crucial for furthering our understanding of the issues businesses face, learning lessons and identifying barriers. This event formed part of my ongoing mission to strengthen the voice of local businesses and help them shape our future work and priorities.
“Nationally, retail crime has become more organised, increasingly violent, and persistent. Too many staff are experiencing threats and assaults while simply doing their job. Too many businesses are dealing with repeat offenders, day after day.
“Retail crime is not victimless: it causes financial losses, jeopardises livelihoods and jobs, increases consumer prices, harms our economy and reduces confidence and heightens fear across our town centres – affecting all of us. These are very real challenges faced every day across Derbyshire – but together we are fighting back.”
Key speakers at the event included Insp Daniel Handley-Farrell, Business Crime Lead on behalf of Derbyshire Constabulary, Ali Farr, member of the National Association of Business Crime Partnerships (NABCP) Board, Jackie Roberts, Derbyshire BCRP Project Manager and Deputy PCC, Dr. Fatima Eltinay.
The PCC is determined to increase support for businesses and retailers, investing in resources to improve the capacity of officers to investigate business and retail crime.
A key step has included the PCC’s investment of £60k in the Derbyshire BCRP which has enabled the recruitment of a dedicated coordinator and supported the rollout of the DISC intelligence-sharing system.
DISC is already making it quicker and easier for retailers to share information, identify repeat offenders, and work more closely with police to prevent incidents before they escalate.
In other work, the PCC has secured funding to increase visible policing in the places where retailers say it is needed most. Operation Shango has delivered more than 18,000 high-impact town centre patrols, created a stronger deterrent and provided reassurance to staff and businesses while more than 2,100 individuals have been referred into Immediate Justice, ensuring fast, meaningful consequences for anti-social behaviour.
The PCC has also supported investment in specialist investigative capability with the launch of the Derbyshire Retail Crime Team in March 2024. The team has achieved a 33 per cent detection rate since launching, demonstrating the value of a focused, intelligence-led approach to retail crime.
Meanwhile, Derbyshire has sustained strong performance in tackling shoplifting, recording 2,501 positive outcomes compared with 1,920 the previous year — a rise of over 30 percent and significantly higher than the national average of around 20 percent.
