CMK businesses collaborate to cut crime with MyMiltonKeynes’ Business Crime Partnership

The Business Crime Partnership, a new MyMiltonKeynes initiative, is unifying organisations including retailers, bars, restaurants, and hotels, across the Business Improvement District (BID) to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

To date, over 40 members from businesses located across Central Milton Keynes, have joined the Business Crime Partnership, and MyMiltonKeynes is looking to reach its target of 100 members by the end of this year.

As one of the biggest examples of CMK businesses working in unison to tackle crime since the inception of the BID in 2017, the Business Crime Partnership also provides members with live information through the digital software platform ‘DISC.’

Financed and managed by MyMiltonKeynes, ‘DISC’ enables members to instantly share vital information about local crime and anti-social behaviour, the offenders responsible for it, and essential current-awareness, as well as to manage local ‘exclusion schemes’.

Part of MyMiltonKeynes’ My Safe City initiative, the launch of the Business Crime Partnership is part of an overall programme to increase safety and reduce crime within CMK. It follows the recent news that MyMiltonKeynes has contributed towards a new fully connected system of CCTV cameras being installed as part of the BID’s partnership with Milton Keynes City Council to deliver the Safer Streets Project.

Melanie Beck MBE, Chief Executive at MyMiltonKeynes said: “The launch of the Business Crime Partnership is part of our commitment to improving safety and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour across the BID. The programme, and the ability to share vital information via DISC, will help businesses collaborate and cut re-offending throughout CMK.”

An essential part of Barwatch which is in operation across the city, the Business Crime Partnership will continue to develop throughout the year with additional plans coming into force. The includes Shopwatch which will help retailers identify shoplifting reoffenders, and Hotelwatch.

Melanie concludes: “We are committed to target hardening across the BID, from greater security infrastructure, additional policing, to cohesively working together and sharing information which will make it much harder for criminal activity to take place.”

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