Peterborough BID businesses uses crime alert app to report about 500 incidents in just five months

About 500 crime incidents against businesses have been reported in the last five months in the Peterborough Business Improvement District (BID) area.

The figures have been released by the BID, which represents more than 400 businesses in the centre of Peterborough, following the launch of its Peterborough Business Crime Partnership app.

But the BID says the figures are likely to be just part of the city’s true crime picture and are urging more of its members to sign with the app.

The app is powered by Disc, which is an online platform and digital application helping businesses share information and report crimes, and includes galleries of known offenders, news alerts, and ‘exclusion schemes’, which are all accessible 24/7.

The figures show that since the launch of the app in Peterborough last November 495 incidents of crime have been reported.

The total losses due to theft are said to amount to £31,175 while the total losses recovered total £17,877.

Members of Peterborough BID have reported 266 ‘known offenders’ and a further 150 ‘unknown offenders’.

A spokesman for the BID said: “Membership is currently at 150 businesses and we can’t emphasise enough how crucial it is to regularly log-in, view galleries, identify unknown offenders and view all the current news and alerts.

“It’s also very important that businesses continue to submit incidents of business crime to the partnership system.”

Just 10 weeks ago, police revealed they were working with retailers in Peterborough to tackle a large rise in shoplifting.

Statistics released by the Office for National Statistics showed that there were 1,423 recorded shoplifting offences in the 12 months up to September 2022 – an increase of 37 per cent compared to the same period the previous year.

Superintendent Neil Billany, Cambridgeshire Police’s area commander for Peterborough and Fenland, said: “We’re working with retailers concerning shoplifting and seeking prosecutions where it is possible to do so.

"For repeat offenders we are applying for Criminal Behaviour Orders preventing them from entering areas where they have previously committed crime.”