Watford Business Against Crime
If your business suffers at the hands of shoplifters or individuals carrying out antisocial behaviour then we encourage you to join our Watford Business Against Crime (WBAC) scheme.
It’s a paid-for scheme, which has over 70 Watford town centre businesses as members, that is also open to businesses outside of the BID area.
As a member you will be provided with a handheld radio, which connects you to other members of the scheme, the CCTV room, the Atria Watford control room, our ranger and police officers on patrol in the town centre.
Members use the radio to alert each other to the locations of known shoplifters, so staff can be vigilant and prevent offences before they happen. They also have access to our DISC website, which contains advice and information relating to shoplifters active in the town, helping them identify perpetrators.
We hold a monthly meeting for all members, where we are usually joined by the CCTV control room manager and members of the Watford Town Centre police team. It takes place on the 1st Wednesday of every month, 10.45 – 11.30am, at Charter House, One YMCA.
Being a member of the scheme doesn’t prevent shoplifting but it does help deter those who are determined to do it. Our members have a higher detection rate for crimes than non-members and mostly importantly they have the added sense of security knowing that they can radio in for CCTV cameras to be trained on their premises if they feel unsafe or threatened by anyone entering their store.
The cost of joining the scheme is dependent on the size of your business, with discounts for businesses that also pay a BID levy. Membership starts at £344 per year (ex VAT) and includes the annual hire of the radio.