Commissioner addresses business safety at Chamber of Commerce event

The event, held during Safer Business Action Week, brought together business leaders, community representatives, and police to discuss key safety concerns including shoplifting, and anti-social behaviour in town centres.

Sgt Lindsay Brown from Lancashire Constabulary outlined the work of police locally, reporting an increase in positive outcomes for crimes in Lancaster and Morecambe, and detailing how officers have recently secured 53 Community Protection Warnings, 19 Community Protection Notices, two civil injunctions and eight criminal behaviour orders. These involve individuals being are banned from premises, town centres, districts, and in some cases countywide bans. He also praised the efforts of Operation Paragon, tackling anti-social street drinking and begging, alongside explain how businesses can help to prevent themselves from becoming victims of crime.

Commissioner Grunshaw highlighted the success of targeted policing operations across Lancashire:

“Safer Business Action Week is valuable opportunity to focus attention on the challenges businesses face every day and highlight the work happening here in Lancashire to tackle key concerns from businesses including shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, alongside the growing threat of cybercrime.

“I’m pleased to see the continued results through Operation Vulture, sending a clear message to criminals that they will be caught and prosecuted. Through Operation Centurion, we are also continuing to tackle anti-social behaviour in our town centres and beyond, another key issue regularly raised by business owners. This includes working with other agencies to address the root causes of offending, including substance misuse and health issues and where appropriate education.

“This event was also a good opportunity to discuss crime prevention, the importance of securing property, CCTV, and to encourage reporting amongst the business community to ensure police are basing their activity on the right data.”

He also emphasised the importance of collaboration between police and the business community:

“To effectively tackle these issues, we will continue to work closely with our partners across the county to deliver a proactive policing response and strengthen relationships between businesses and the police. Through my Office, work is also ongoing to establish a Safer Lancashire Business Partnership, which will launch early next year.

“As Commissioner, making Lancashire a safer place to live and work is my primary aim. This can only be achieved through strong leadership, a robust police force, and effective deterrents.”

The Chamber welcomed the Commissioner’s remarks and pledged continued support for initiatives that improve safety and resilience for businesses across the region.

Chief Executive Officer of the Lancaster & Morecambe Chamber of Commerce, Graham White added “We were pleased to welcome the Police and Crime Commissioner and representatives from Lancashire Constabulary to speak directly with our local business community. The safety and security of our members is a key priority, and it’s encouraging to see a continued commitment to addressing the challenges businesses face — from shoplifting and anti-social behaviour to the growing threat of cybercrime.

“Collaboration between the police, local authorities, and businesses is essential if we are to create safer and more resilient town centres. The Chamber is proud to support initiatives such as Operation Vulture and Operation Centurion, and we look forward to working closely with the Commissioner’s office through the new Safer Lancashire Business Partnership to ensure that Lancaster and Morecambe remain safe, vibrant places to live, work, and do business.”