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14 April 2020 - Update #9 - Security Spotlight 


This is our latest email bulletin relating to the COVID-19 outbreak, with a special focus on security. With many businesses currently closed and those that remain open potentially feeling vulnerable security is, quite understandably, a concern at the moment, reflected in many of the survey responses we’ve had to date (thanks to everyone who has completed the survey – there’s still time to participate here). 


With that in mind, for this bulletin we’ve rounded up what we are doing as a BID, in partnership with key agencies, to help mitigate security concerns. We’ve also collated a range of useful links specifically around security and business crime at this difficult time.   


For more general information about our services, how we can help you and links to national and local coronavirus updates, please visit our dedicated webpage. The page also includes links to our previous COVID-19 bulletins.


The BID Security Team 
Our security team - Martin, Sam and Lewis - are working hard on the front line to ensure our city and businesses stay safe during this time. We have revised working hours to Tuesday – Saturday 12pm until 8pm to better suit the city's current situation. We have recently acquired a security van to enable us to add vehicle patrols to their daily duties so they can cover the BID area more easily and effectively.

The team aim to make five vehicle patrols a day and their usual duties will remain in helping tackle tougher issues, such as rough sleeping on your premises, anti-social behaviour and crime. You can reach our security team by phone on 07725 737236.  

Working In Collaboration
It’s essential now more than ever for us to work with others as a team to help tackle crime in Southampton. GO! Southampton and the security team are working closely with Hampshire Police in a joined-up approach at this challenging time to support not only the essential businesses still in operation but also to help protect closed premises from commercial burglaries and other crime.

A weekly phone call between Southampton City Council, GO! Southampton and Hampshire Constabulary takes place to share intelligence, to coordinate patrolling services and offer support. The local Police force also kindly made a visit to all of our customer-facing levy payers who were still trading at the end of March.

In addition, Southampton City Council’s Welfare Wardens and Street Homeless Outreach teams have been actively supporting rough sleepers throughout the city, providing accommodation to those in need. 

Further Support

Our input into wider groups and ongoing efforts to mitigate issues around security and safety also include: 

  • Operations Director, Rebecca Handley is liaising with the relevant local and national groups to share information/best practice and to ensure concerns in the BID area are highlighted. Last week, Rebecca joined a National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) members’ call entitled ‘Managing risk and crime in collaboration’. Our membership of the NBCS allows us benefit from shared intelligence on business crime and to liaise directly with head office retail contacts to ensure they’re aware of specific issues in Southampton and how we’re working to tackle them.

  • We are proactively working with statutory and third sector partners through the Safe City Partnership to protect our most vulnerable residents in the city.     

  • We are working with the BID Foundation and the national High Streets Task Force to share best practice and discuss COVID-19 specific concerns with other BIDs across the UK.

  • Thank you to those who have completed our coronavirus business impact survey. Any comments which have been raised about security will be individually responded to by one of our team and/or will be shared with relevant partner agencies. 

Southampton Business Crime Partnership (SBCP)
We are also working on a new Business Crime Partnership to launch later this year. This week we have secured our Information Sharing Agreement with Hampshire Constabulary, so that we can share the latest criminal intelligence with our levy payers shortly. In addition, the BID now has access through our membership with the NBCS to alerts about travelling offenders within the Solent region.


 Useful Links
  • View information on fraud and scams on the Action Fraud page here.
  • A new toolkit has been released for businesses to support the Take Five campaign to help stop financial fraud - view here. 
  • Protect your business from commercial burglaries by following Hampshire Constabulary's steps to keep burglars out – view here.
  • View top 10 security tips for closed business premises here.
  • View top 10 cyber security tips for working at home here.
  • View the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner webpage on business crime prevention here.  
  • General crime prevention advice from Hampshire Police here.
  • Advice for Licensed Premises from the Minister of State for Crime and Policing - view letter here.
  • Read the latest advice from the Counter Terrorism Policing Unit here.
  • Train your employees on the latest Counter Terrorism  advice via the ACT Awareness-learning package here.
  • View the latest guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre here.
  • For latest advice on support for Rough Sleepers go here. 


Our Contact Information  

You can reach the BID team via info@gosouthampton.co.uk. If you have any queries at all, or if you think we might be able to help you with something specific, please do not hesitate to contact us.