Merseyside Police officers are joining forces with local partners and police across the country to support national Safer Business Action Week (SaBA) 10th-14th November 2025 to help tackle business and retail crime in our local communities.
The aim of the initiative is to reduce business crime and improve safety for local retailers, staff and customers offering crime prevention and safety advice to help deter theft and keep local communities safe.
Local officers from across the region will be involved in foot patrols, plain clothed operations and engaging with local business and shop owners and the local community to help make our communities safer.
Officers will be out in town centres distributing leaflets with safety advice and QR codes to make reporting crimes such as shoplifting easier for security staff.
When the QR code is scanned it links directly to the police online reporting page where officers will receive a crime reference number and get to work on their investigations. The QR codes have already seen a huge increase in reporting crimes which has been welcomed by local retailers and businesses in the fight against crime.
Force Lead for Business Crime, Superintendent Charlotte Irlam from Liverpool Neighbourhood Local Policing said:
“All of our town centres will see an increase in foot patrols with officers giving advice and support to local retailers and encouraging businesses to get involved in our partnership working and initiatives.
“We have been able to put extra resources into our local centres in all areas including Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Wirral and Sefton to ensure we support local retailers and businesses and the community in keeping everyone safe throughout Safer Business Action week which runs from Monday, 10 November until Friday, 14 November.
“We would encourage anyone to come and talk to us for safety advice and reporting of crime either with officers on patrol or in one of our local surgeries being held across Merseyside.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners for their continued cooperation and support.”
As part of the initiative, police and partners will be holding Safer Business Action Days throughout the week and visiting local retailers and other businesses to understand more about the issues they are facing daily.
Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:
“Business crime has a huge impact on our local communities, affecting livelihoods and the sense of safety for staff and customers alike.
“Safer Business Action Week is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our commitment to tackling these issues head-on, all year round.
“By close working between Merseyside Police, local authorities and retailers, our focus is on sharing practical advice, strengthening reporting, and taking proactive steps to deter crime.
“Innovations like the QR code reporting system are already making a real difference, helping businesses report incidents quickly and ensuring officers can respond effectively.
“We also saw a significant number of arrests for retail crime during our Safer Streets Summer campaign this year and it will be a focus once again for our Winter of Action work, demonstrating how by working together we can make Merseyside a safer place to live, work and shop.”
The objective is to deliver a focussed operation with joint patrols, the targeted intervention of prolific offenders and a range of crime prevention activity supported by the National Business Crime Centre who organise SaBA Week.
Superintendent Lisa Maslen lead of the National Business Crime Centre said:
“Safer Business Action Week is a valuable opportunity to focus attention on the challenges businesses face every day, while celebrating the ongoing partnership work taking place across the country.
“The results we’ve seen from these collaborative efforts show the real impact of bringing together police, local authorities and the business community to reduce harm and create safer places to work and shop.”
To report any business or retail crime please call 101 or contact us on social media @MerPolCC
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown or email: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
