WarehousingIreland.ie – UK logistics & transport hub seescriminal activity drop to all time low

UK logistics & transport hub seescriminal activity drop to all time low

Mar 09, 2013 Warehousing Ireland News 0

Crime rates on one of the UK’s premier logistics and transport parks have been slashed following the launch of CCTV cameras and regular police patrols.

Before the crime reduction measures were taken in 2009, Brackmills Industrial Estate, just off junction 15 of the M1 on the edge of Northampton, was one of the UK’s hotspots for lorry crime.

Now, thefts from lorries have been cut by 95 per cent and reported crime is down by over 60 per cent, as compared to the pre 2009 figures.

Ian Taylor is the dedicated Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) for Brackmills.

He said: “On a daily basis, I do high-visibility patrols and visit businesses so there’s a link between the police and businesses. We don’t really get any major problems on the estate anymore and this is thanks to estate initiatives such as our CCTV cameras, additional street lamps and our estate management team who keep a firm eye on the estate.”

Ian Ferguson, from Partnerships for Better Business, helped set up the Brackmills Improvement District (BID), which funded both the CCTV cameras and the estate’s PCSO patrols.

He said: “Back in 2009, Brackmills was one of the top five places in the country for criminal gangs to come to. But lorry theft has now virtually disappeared, it’s just not an issue now.”

Brackmills Industrial Estate is home to a host of transport firms including Maritime Transport, National Link Couriers and Clipper Logistics Group while among its blue chip companies are Travis Perkins, John Lewis, Panasonic, The White Company, Stanley Black and Decker and Coca Cola.

Nearly four years ago these companies and their neighbours voted yes to becoming a Business Improvement District (BID), an innovative initiative which sees firms pool money to tackle everything from crime and congestion to litter and the development of initiatives to save firms money.

In the last three months alone a host of companies have moved on to the estate, including TLA Distribution, Newport Control, DX Networks Services and Alosa Catering Equipment.

Other new faces on the thriving estate include Expert Developments, CTR Future, Click Distribution and Ubbink Ltd.

Brackmills BID Chair, Sara Homer, said: “Brackmills is at the centre of the UK’s distribution infrastructure, the centre of gravity for companies wanting to distribute their goods nationally and internationally. Since becoming a BID crime has been slashed, we have invested in our own Police Community Support Officer and have CCTV cameras at ever entry point on to the estate. It is not surprising we are now a destination of choice.”

Brackmills has its own dedicated website which includes transport and storage availability, a jobs section, swap shop, unit vacancy details and profiles on all the 140 plus companies based on the estate.