Nottingham’s Safer City Partnership

The Safer City Partnership team has been developed by It's in Nottingham, in partnership with My Local Bobby, in response to feedback from city centre retailers – it is the latest innovation to ensure Nottingham remains a safe place to live, work, study, and visit.

Operating six days a week, the team provide high-visibility patrols across Nottingham city centre, making regular visits to businesses and working closely with existing agencies to deter and manage criminal activity and antisocial behaviour.

Making use of existing safety initiatives delivered by It’s in Nottingham, such as the Alert! information sharing app and radio scheme with body-worn video technology, the Safer City Partnership team also support communication between businesses, city centre CCTV, and Nottinghamshire Police.

As part of their daily patrols, the team also engage with rough sleepers and the charities who support them, to offer signposting and referral to the most appropriate services.

City centre businesses have shared their feedback about the new Safer City Partnership team -

“Being a solo security guard in retail, I’ve often had a few challenges but having the guys as support has been really helpful. One example of this is when they helped with the recovery of about £300 worth of stolen items; I radioed them for help and they came down right away, and managed to return the stock to us.

“They’ve really helped with drug dealing too, gathering information and sharing it on the [Alert!] app -  it really helps me having a dedicated team who I can call on the radio or on the phone and they’re on it.

“They check up with us regularly, and speak to shop staff, even if they’re just passing by, so the staff know who they are. They’ve helped with the cameras too, they’re amazing, it really helps me do my job. They’ve got prior experience which is what the role needs - they know how to talk to people, how to get to know me and where I work, and how to de-escalate situations, it’s good service.”

Amir, WH Smith

“This is a great investment from It's in Nottingham towards the city, the work that they do has significantly reduced crime for us and made us feel safer. The store was burgled overnight and the team was extremely supportive in relaying information so that together everyone had updates from the police about the investigation.

“They interact really well, and proactively with rough sleepers and create relationships and trust with them - they come down quickly to help and we feel really supported when they come back into the shop to update us and provide further support if we need it.”

City centre retail store manager

“I’ve worked in this store for fourteen years and we've seen some challenges with shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and homeless people, so to have these two people who are really passionate about making the city safe, who are really supportive; it’s good to know that they are around in the city centre.

“We’ve had a couple of instances with shoplifters and aggressive customers, we’ve used the radio link and they’ve come in to support us - it’s an amazing support network for us and other businesses in the city, it’s an amazing thing that It's in Nottingham have done.”

Amy, General Manager, Zara

“I think it’s had a positive impact on all retailers, they are a great deterrent for all the crime and issues that retailers face day to day. Knowing they are patrolling the city everyday puts mine and my store's minds at ease.

“They have been very friendly, proactive and helpful in terms of being a point of contact and helping assist or deal with crimes that we have come across. We have seen success from them identifying offenders or having them detained and arrested and I believe this has instilled confidence and belief in the scheme amongst us all. I think this is a great scheme and would hopefully like to see the team expand and continue future success in helping retailers fight crime.”

Dan Xavier, Profit Protection Manager

Superintendent Chris Pearson, responsible for city centre policing, said: “We welcome the new city centre patrols by Nottingham’s Business Improvement District. These additional resources will only enhance our offering to our business community. This partnership approach ensures we have all the tools at our disposal to ensure that the city centre is equipped to deal with all the issues faced by our businesses and that the city is a safer place for people to shop and visit.”

The Safer City Partnership complements existing crime reduction and city centre management initiatives which are delivered by our accredited Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) under our Managed City strategic pillar.