To enter into a contract with ShopSafe Alert Limited, Unit 2 Sandy Lane, Badwell Ash, Bury St Edmunds IP31 3FA for the provision of radios and an online application, as part of a system to support local businesses within the Tendring District.

The Council works with Essex Police in partnership under the Community Safety Partnership (CSP).  The partnership’s priorities include reducing serious violence, tackling anti-social behaviour and the root causes of those matters, as well as the reduction of theft from businesses, across the District.  

To support that community safety work the CSP applied for funding from the Safer Streets 2 funding stream, administered by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.  The funding was granted and one of the projects within the overall bid was to provide 100 businesses in the District with a radio system and online application allowing, and supporting those businesses to work with Essex Police and Tendring District Council to reduce crime within the town centres and their surrounding areas in the District. 

The radios, and online application will support local businesses working in Partnership by connecting those business communities through the use of an information sharing app.  Each business with a radio and/or online application will be able to communicate with other shops and businesses they will be able to share pictures and intelligence that will support the local Policing Team.

There is a 24-hour help desk provided and in addition, face to face training is provided.

These radios are to be supplied as a proprietary item as the company will provide this service to the Local Authority as a complete service. The system will be provided for a 12 month period, after this period businesses will work with Shopsafe direct to pay for future years.

The Council could decline to accept the funding provided for the purpose of this particular contract. However, as these funds were allocated through a successful bidding process from Safer Street 2 funding specifically to allocate 100 radios to businesses across the Tendring District against shop theft, refusing to accept the funding and purchasing the radios is not the preferred option.