A Partnership Between the West End Security Group and Safer Business Network The West End Security Group and the Safer Business Network are pleased to announce a partnership that aims to further improve the security across the West End.  The Safer Business Network (SBN) and the West End Security Group (WESG) are complementary organisations, which aim to ensure that the West End remains a safe and unrivalled destination where businesses can flourish with minimal impact from crime and terrorism. With a broad overlap between the geography and the membership of each organisation, this joint approach – business crime reduction and counter terrorism – will support more effective coordination between WESG and SBN, especially at the delivery level.  It will also enable collective and therefore stronger lobbying voice on key issues relevant to both WESG and SBN, and presents an opportunity to develop joint initiatives, share resources and/or commission projects.  This will make the West End a safer place to live, visit and work.

SBN

Safer Business Network (formally Safer London Business Partnership) is a not for profit organisation, which coordinates and administers the following Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs) across some of London most diverse and challenging boroughs: Safer West End, Safer Lambeth, Safer Lewisham and Southwark Safe

SBN, which has been operating for 10 years, is the leading BCRP in the capital, and the model is endorsed by the Metropolitan Police, and recognised as best practice in the MOPAC Police & Crime Plan 2017-21. Through its schemes, SBN brings businesses together, both large and small, across the day and night, in a partnership with the police, local authorities, Business Improvement Districts and other interested stakeholders, to tackle crime, violence and anti-social behaviour that have negative impacts on profitability of business, and the ‘look and feel’ of town centre environments.  Safer Business Network supports its members with a team of personnel who are a single-point-of-contact offering tools for communication and information sharing, and the skills and training to enable staff to detect and prevent crime and disorder. SBN represent the interests of over 1,500 businesses, connected either via their digital radio and/or crime intelligence platform, across 5 inner London Boroughs, 16 Business Improvement Districts and 4 landowners. SBN offers a messaging capability to support early information sharing and intervention with regards to critical incidents, marches, crime and disorder or sightings of prolific offenders.

WESG  

WESG is a member led, not-for-profit, voluntary organisation constituted as an Unincorporated Association which has been operating for four years.  WESG aims to increase the ability of its members to resist, respond, react to and recover from a terrorist attack, ensuring that their organisations and the wider West End are better prepared to respond to and recover from the aftermath of a terrorist incident.  To this end, WESG mirrors the Prepare and Protect functions of the national counter terrorism strategy (CONTEST).  The WESG has formed strong and productive partnerships with Westminster City Council, The Metropolitan Police Service and Counter Terrorism Police in order to pursue this aim.  It is also represented at the national level.  There are currently 14 members of WESG, and the group consists of a blend of landowners and Business Improvement Districts.  Collectively the members encompass approximately 6,000 businesses across West End.   Members are supported by the resources that WESG can provide.  These include facilitated access to local and national good practice to assist with the development and delivery of their respective security plans.  Individual members also work as part of geographic groups to enhance area security.