Interviews

Business crime: Brighton

by Mark Rowe

Among those attending the London business crime reduction conference at the Hippodrome on November 16 was Lisa Perretta, the long-time Brighton business crime partnership manager. She spoke to Professional Security about the latest BCRP work in Sussex.

She began with the restorative justice work – that’s one to one with offenders on the back of ‘community resolutions’ for low-level offences. Examples include thefts where the offender has not been arrested for a long time; rather than taking that person through the criminal justice system, for an isolated offnce, that offender is taken through ‘community resolution’. That might involve the offender saying sorry to the business or person stolen from, and a letter of apology, so long as the shop stolen from is happy with that method, and gets the stolen goods back.

As for those cynics who doubt whether restorative justice actually works, Lisa Perretta said that she didn’t think that the writing of a letter was deterrent enough. She told Professional Security: “I am restorative justice-trained; I take adults and children one to one for a two-hour session.” That’s one hour on the effects of shoplifting and criminal behaviour on the victim, and indeed the offender – such as how it can affect their travel plans (will the United States allow them a visa?), and their future job prospects. And one hour the offender is taken to a local charity ship for ‘community payback’ type work.

Asked by Professional Security to comment on that cynics’ view that such schemes don’t work, she replied that it really does, answering that of 185 cases so far, two have re-offended. “It does work, so long as it’s done properly,” and as long as you are capturing offenders at the right level, if for instance they are ‘testing’ shops to see if they can get away with taking things, rather than long-term offenders who don’t want to change their habits.

For more of Brighton’s work, with door and other security, wait for the print version of Professional Security magazine.

Picture by Mark Rowe; street graffiti, Brighton centre.

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