Crime data-sharing platform wins six-figure government funding

An initiative for sharing data between the business community and law enforcement agencies has secured significant government funding.

Founded by Jason Trigg, the former owner of Cardinal Security, the National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) is a centralised repository for business crime data from which intelligence can be generated to more effectively detect, prevent and respond to crime. The initiative helps stakeholders identify links between crimes committed across a wide geographic area because many criminals travel the length and breadth of the country to commit crime.

The not-for-profit initiative, which in three years has grown its membership by 213% to nearly 50 organisations, has been awarded a six-figure sum from the Police Transformation Fund, a Home Office programme.

NBCS management say the money can help them become self-sustaining, make new appointments, attract new members, enhance corporate governance, raise awareness and revamp its branding. With additional resources they will also seek to enhance the quality of information shared and circulated and deliver a fraud-sharing platform.

“Preventative action”

“This is a unique service from a trusted partner that truly offers the way forward for the industry and police to work together to achieve a common goal,” said DCI Georgie Barnard of the National Police Chief’s Council, which supports the NBCS. “NBCS offers timely information on crime trends to enable businesses in all market sectors to take better preventative action and enable more effective engagement with the police.”

The NBCS is already credited with the positive identification of 419 suspects and arrest of 309 offenders over the last three years, as well as playing a role in securing sentences of over 200 years for offenders causing the most harm. The NBCS won a Retail Fraud Award in 2014 and an award for Best Collaborative Solution and Best Crime Partnership in 2016.

“We have proven that by working in collaboration we can build a national profile of business crime and actively support the police service by building watertight cases that result in real action,” says Catherine Bowen, policy and stakeholder director at NBCS.

“The partnership between NBCS and the police service has gone from strength to strength and the money we have received from the Police Transformation Fund rubber stamps our credentials and can be seen as an endorsement of the work we do in better protecting businesses.

“I’m looking forward to providing an even better level of service to our existing members and welcoming new companies on board.”

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