In central London, the Victoria BID business crime partnership celebrated achieving their first Safer Business Award and Purple Flag at an event at the Victoria Palace Theatre in Victoria in January, attended by many of the businesses from across the Victoria BID (Business Improvement District).
The BID area includes Victoria rail and underground stations, two of the busiest on the network, as well as the retail area of Victoria Street and an office element with many nationally important organisations and residential areas.
Among the speakers were chief superintendent Simon Ovens, Westminster police, Ruth Duston, chief executive of the BID and Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen, owner of the Victoria Palace theatre.
Karl Rogers, the BID crime manager said, ‘Victoria is an important area with many high profile organisations headquartered within the BID area or nearby, including government ministries, New Scotland Yard, Westminster Cathedral and the Abbey to name a few. We have very large numbers of people using the stations, which bring their own problems of crime as well.
‘We want to contribute to the success of the area and support the business community, residents and visitors to the theatres and other tourist attractions. Crime in Victoria is currently 3.1 per cent down on overall crime compared to the same period the previous year which follows a three year success of reducing crime year on year.’
