Traders helped to fight criminals

Businesses are being urged to band together to beat criminals in a new scheme to boost shop security in North Bradford.

Officers from the North Bradford Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) are launching a new Business Watch programme in the area this winter to help traders in the run up to Christmas.

Members will be updated by police on any thieves they should be aware of and the latest crime concerns.

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They will receive information on grants or schemes available to help them to better protect properties from commercial burglaries or metal thefts.

Members will also be given a direct point of contact with the North Bradford NPT to encourage them to raise concerns about crime in the area quickly with one of their local officers.

Sergeant Dave Williams, of the North Bradford NPT, said: "We recently completed a residents' survey in Allerton and Lower Grange and one of the key points which came from it was that residents wanted a business watch.

"At the moment we are contacting businesses who might be interested and are asking any shops in our patch who may benefit to come forward as the larger the scheme grows, the stronger it will become."

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The sergeant said the scheme was intended to help businesses to keep in closer contact with police and also to make sure they were as well protected as they could be from both thieves and also commercial burglars.

"What we are keen to do is keep our businesses up to date with the latest crime prevention advice and help them gain access to resources such as target hardening to see if there are ways to help them make premises more secure," he added.

The scheme follows other successful "watches" in the division including Bingley Business Watch which was set up in 2008.

Bingley Business Watch attracted more than 60 members and was praised by business leaders in the town.

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