PCSP to host a public meeting on Retail Crime in Lisburn
August 8, 2016
Lisburn & Castlereagh Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) are to host a public meeting on retail crime on Tuesday 16 August 2016 at 7.00pm in the Kingdom Life City Church, Graham Gardens, Lisburn.
The meeting is being facilitated to enable local people including businesses to have their say on retail crime and will be attended by the PSNI and the designated organisations from the PCSP. These include the Fire Service, Youth Justice Agency, Probation Board, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, South Eastern Education and Library Board and Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
The partnership are keen to hear the concerns of the local community on issues effecting retail crime. The PSNI District Commander will present his report on policing at this meeting and will also address policing issues raised by members of the public in attendance.
Speaking about the forthcoming public meeting, Chairman of the Lisburn & Castlereagh PCSP Councillor Scott Carson said, “We are keen to hear the concerns of the local community which includes the business community. Regardless of size, businesses are at the heart of the community and crimes against businesses not only impact against the local economy, but it also damages perceptions of local areas. Some of these concerns may include organised crime gang attacks, robberies and burglaries against business property, shoplifting and violent crime involving drugs and alcohol and cybercrime. The PCSP works closely with Lisburn City Centre Management, Lisburn Commerce against Crime, Lisburn Chamber of Commerce and recently launched a Lisburn City Safe Zone based at Premier Taxis in Smithfield Square. I would encourage a good attendance at this meeting.”
The District Commander for Lisburn and Castlereagh District, Superintendent Sean Wright said, “Retailers are operating in a very competitive environment and it is really important that they are not incurring any unnecessary losses. We all want to see a reduction in the level of shoplifting, and distraction thefts such as money changing scams, in the town centre, and in order to achieve this it is important that traders, CCTV operators and the police work together as one. Our collaborative efforts should be a real deterrent to criminals who will find it increasingly difficult to operate undetected when their unlawful actions are under such scrutiny.”