Facewatch in London

moove2london on 16 Dec 2010

For those of you who are concerned about crime in London, you’ll be pleased to hear about the Facewatch scheme that has recently been piloted in the Victoria area of the capital.

Facewatch relies on businesses such as shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels to join their scheme and share information by means of the Facewatch database, which targets low level crime, such as shoplifting and bag theft.

Facewatch makes it as easy as possible for victims to report such crime. When an incident occurs, the business uploads details of the crime online, which takes approximately 5 minutes. The victim will receive a crime number straightaway without having to report it to the police separately. Information about the crime can then be shared across the Facewatch database, which maximises the chance of apprehending the criminals, particularly those who operate in a specific local area. Facewatch is also in partnership with CPP (Card Protection Plan), meaning that after a crime has occurred, it’s possible to cancel ALL of your credit cards and get free replacements sent out to you, just by making one phone call.

The scheme has so far been piloted in 31 businesses in the Victoria where one it’s success stories resulted in a serial bag thief being caught within 24 hours of being uploaded to the Facewatch database.

For businesses who are interested in joining the Facewatch scheme, prices start at £15 a month (for businesses with a turnover of up to £500k p.a). As well as the ability to report crimes happening on your premises, you’ll also receive stickers and posters to advertise the fact that your business is a member of Facewatch. This acts as a massive deterrent to criminals and is also extremely attractive to your customers who will love the fact that you are doing something proactive to safeguard them and their property.

For more information, visit facewatch.co.uk