Business Watch
Business Watch is a locally tailored scheme aiming to reduce the amount of business-related crime in your area.
What is the impact of business crime
- Financial costs to replace assets or stock and to repair damage
- Wasted time dealing with the aftermath of the crime
- Unnecessary stress caused to managers and staff
- Potential rise in insurance premiums
- It can deter customers and/or trade partners
Business Watch brings together local businesses in a common cause to help prevent and detect crime. In its basic form, a Business Watch will share information between members of the group and ensure that any suspicious activity or crime is reported to the Police.
What are the benefits of joining Business Watch?
- Regular updates about crime in your area from the Police so that you can be forewarned about potential crime trends and adjust your security measures if required
- Frequent crime prevention advice including topical advice regarding scams and frauds and other business-related information from the Essex Police Business Crime Unit
- Improved communication and cooperation between all companies in the area, sharing information regarding suspicious activity and other non-crime matters that could affect members’ businesses e.g. access disruption
- Partnership working with police and local authorities to target local problems such as anti-social behaviour and criminal damage
Additional benefits include:
- Improved security by reviewing current security measures on member’s sites and their immediate surroundings
- Immediate reporting and prompt removal of fly- tips
- Potential alterations and improvements to the external environment.
Business Watch schemes can exist simply as a shared email contact list, or with more support as an organised scheme aiming to address common issues faced by members.
For Business Watch to flourish it requires the interest of a number of organisations within a clearly defined area. An Essex Watch Liaison Officer will work to ascertain whether there is sufficient interest, and the most appropriate type of scheme suitable for your area. A basic scheme can always develop at a later stage if required.
To discuss this further, please fill in the form and return it as directed. An Essex Watch Liaison Officer will then contact you to discuss the scheme with you.
Essex Watch Liaison Officers work closely with our Business Crime Unit which supports businesses regarding ongoing crime and policing issues. If you would like any advice or guidance around issues your business is experiencing please get in touch with them at [email protected] The BCU encourages Business Watch and similar schemes.
Join Business Watch
To join Essex Police Business Watch, please return the completed form overleaf by post to:
Essex Watch Liaison Officers, c/o LPSU, Essex Police Headquarters, PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6DA
You can also send it via email to:
[email protected]
Essex Police on social media
We're on all the main social networks. See all the details and links on our social media page.
Reporting incidents
Firstly, do not put yourself in harm's way. For crimes in progress or if life is in danger, always call 999.
You can use our live chat service any day between 7am and 11pm or report crime and anti-social behaviour on our website.
Or, for all non-urgent crime call 101.
For anonymous reporting, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
What we might need to know
- Report the incident as soon as possible
- Include information such as incident location including landmarks or your phone’s GPS location. You can use the free What3Words smartphone application to pinpoint your location anywhere in the world to a 3 metre square with three words.
- Provide as much detail as possible about what you have seen and heard, such as descriptions of persons seen, vehicles (including make, model, colour, registration, direction of travel)
- Any dash cam footage or photographic evidence