FAQs Data Protection
We collect data for two separate groups of people: Members of the BCRP and offenders.
For our members the lawful basis is “the contract” that we have with them by virtue of their membership of the BCRP. For offenders the lawful basis is “legitimate interest” to protect our members and their property from harm and to prevent crime and disorder. Please see the Privacy Notice (Offenders) on this website.
Our members give us consent by virtue of asking to be members of the scheme and completing an application form. Offenders do not give consent but we collect their information on the basis of “legitimate interest”.
The BCRP has assessed the impact of its processing on offenders’ rights and freedoms, has balanced these with its members’ own rights, and has concluded that its members’ rights prevail over offenders’ rights in this specific matter. This means that the BCRP has a compelling reason to collect data without asking for permission to do so. For the BCRP it is to protect the property of our members and their staff and customers from crime and anti-social behaviour and to exclude from their premises any individuals who are proven threats to their property, staff or customers or disrupt the peaceful enjoyment that their customers expect from the goods and/or services that our members offer.
The BCRP processes offenders’ personal data for the management of its exclusion scheme on behalf of its members (See exclusion scheme FAQ), to inform members of an offender’s modus operandi, to collate intelligence on criminal activity within the area of the scheme’s operation and to contribute to the legal proceedings against offenders where appropriate.
Where possible and in certain circumstances we also try to prevent people from being excluded by writing to them beforehand.
A contact name, the name of the company, the companies, address, email address, and telephone number.
Name, date of birth, address (if possible) and other contact details, photographic image and details of any offences including modus operandi against our members. We collect offender’s addresses so that we can write to them to explain what information we have and what we intend to do with it. For the purposes of identification we might also record their ethnicity. If the offender has a medical condition that means they are prone to violence we may also record this to ensure the safety of our members.
The information on our members is not shared with anyone except possibly our radio and software providers if appropriate and with consent. The information about offenders may be shared with our members and also statutory agencies, e.g. police, Youth Offending Service, Local Authority, and Immigration Service. Any medical information collected is not generally shared with members but only those who may need to know, e.g. security personnel. We may also share offender information with other neighbouring BCRPs and national agencies if there is a reason to believe that the offender travels from place to place committing offences.
We may process data on young persons/juvenile individuals under 18 years of age where there is information from a reliable source that such individuals have been involved in incidents as per our protocols which may impact on the safe and secure environment of our business community. However, we will not share that information with any organisations, businesses or individuals within the membership of PABCIS unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, from a safeguarding perspective our staff may monitor the activity of such individuals and if it is felt a safeguarding issue may arise, then information may be shared with relevant statutory agencies having a responsibility for harm reduction and safeguarding of young people.
WE DO NOT SHARE ANY INFORMATION ON ANYONE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE WITH OUR MEMBERS
For our members we only keep the information they have supplied for as long as they are members of the BCRP.
For offenders we keep the information for between 1 year but up to a maximum of 2 years* and it may be shared with our members during that period. If no further report is submitted during the 2 years the offender’s data will be withdrawn from members at the expiry of that period. It will be retained for a further 9 months in the scheme’s database (which can only be accessed by the Data Controller and authorised personnel) after which time, if no further incidents are reported, it will be irrevocably deleted.
*Very occasionally it may be necessary to retain the information for longer for example if there is an exceptionally long exclusion period of up to 5 years.
Yes, and so can members. You can use the form on the Contact Us page or phone or email us.
To protect your privacy we prefer requests to be made in writing to The Board of Management, PABCIS HUB, Hanley Police and Fire Station, Lower Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST1 3RP
We may ask you to prove you are the person you are asking for information about.
You can complain directly to us using the “Contact Form” on this website. You can complain to the Information Commissioner online at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
FAQs Exclusion Notices
We send out a warning letter to people when we receive a report from one of our members that they have been involved in an incident unless it is likely that the incident will lead directly to exclusion, e.g. violence incidents. The letter is to let you know that we have information about you, what we will do with it, how long we will keep it and who we will share it with. It also serves to warn you that you may be banned from our members’ shops and venues if you continue to commit crime or anti-social behaviour.
It means that our members don’t want you to go into their shops and venues and you are banned from doing so for the period specific on the notice. If you try to go in you will be stopped and trying to go in could be considered anti-social behaviour. We may report that to the Local Authority Anti-Social Behaviour Team and Staffordshire Police. We will circulate your name, date of birth, and photograph to our members on a secure intranet so that they know you are banned. See “Exclusion Notice” on this website.
The Exclusion Notice you received also comes with a list of places.
The BCRP Board of Management has approved a policy for exclusion within retail and exclusions are served based on that policy. You may have a pattern of behaviour at local level, or if it is believed you are travelling to commit crime you may be excluded for one incident. The policy also extends to offending in more than one area within Staffordshire. In relation to the night time economy decisions to exclude are taken at local level after discussion by the licensees/venues directly following an agreed matrix. You may be excluded for one incident as violence or drugs will not be tolerated. See “Exclusion Notices” on this website.
No. The police play no part in the decision making process, although the BCRP may obtain an address or evidence or information about an individual.
The rights of people who are excluded have been balanced against the rights of our Members to protect their staff and property from harm or loss. The BCRP believes that their rights in this regard outweigh the rights of the excluded individual.
The rights of people who are excluded have been balanced against the rights of our Members to protect their staff and property from harm or loss. The BCRP believes that their rights in this regard outweigh the rights of the excluded individual.
If you believe you have been wrongly excluded you can appeal in writing or on line on this website by following the appropriate link – see Exclusion Notice on this website. If you believe that the BCRP has contravened the Data Protection Act 2018 you can complain to the Information Commissioner via their website.
You have a right to appeal against an exclusion within 14 days of the date of service. This should be done in writing or on line as per the instructions on the notice. This will then be heard by the licensees/retailers at the local area. They may make a decision to remove, reduce or uphold the exclusion after discussion. If you do not agree with the decision made, you have a right to appeal further by appearing in person before a panel who are authorised to make a final decision based on the information you provide.
After 6 months has passed and if there have been no further incidents, you can ask for your exclusion to be reviewed unless the original exclusion is in place due to incidents of violence or drugs where there is zero tolerance. Reviews on the retail economy will be in accordance with an agreed policy and discussed at a relevant retail meeting. Reviews in the night time economy will be by the relevant local Licensees.
You might be asked to attend an alcohol diversion course or other appropriate course depending on the nature of your offences against our Members (You would have to pay for these yourself).
If your exclusion ended early you will also have to accept that if any Member reports a single incident in the next 6 months you would have an automatic further 12 months exclusion and there will be no right to appeal.
FAQs Partners
PABCIS works with numerous partner agencies across the County to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour within our member venues. The Partner Agencies include: Staffordshire Police, Local Authorities in Staffordshire, Community Safety Teams in Staffordshire, Youth Offending Services, Immigration, Drug and Alcohol Services, Business Improvement Districts (BIDS). This list is not exhaustive and there may be other agencies with which PABCIS engages from time to time.
The BCRP works with partner agencies to help create a more accurate picture of offending in Staffordshire. Only a small percentage of incidents reported to the BCRP are called into the police. That leaves a staggeringly high percentage of incidents of crime and disorder that go unnoticed by authorities. We work with agencies to help individuals who are offending to get the help they may need. This maybe ensuring linking in with an agency to try to get housing support or support with an addiction or ensuring a young person is linked in with Youth Offending Services to help address their offending behaviour and needs. We can share information on crime trends and locations as well as individuals although we do the latter under a strict data integrity agreement and compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
FAQs Members
You can apply for membership on line on this website using the Membership Application Form. We will then make contact with you to process your application.
PABCIS offers incredible value for money. There is a tax deductible annual membership subscription which is locally agreed, and is dependent upon the size of your business and its membership group. Please contact PABCIS for costings relevant to your area. In addition there is an option to add a state of the art digital radio handset which connects you to other businesses in your area, as well as the CCTV. The police are also able to monitor the radio handsets. This allows you to share in real time information on individuals who are known to offend in your area or incidents that have just occurred. Radios are rented from suppliers at an additional cost. Please note that in some areas membership subscriptions may be funded or part funded through a BID.
Alongside this you will have access to our secure website and smart phone app which provides you with information about individuals who are subject to exclusions or those in danger of exclusion. The website also contains up to date crime news and alerts such as wanted, missing or unidentified individuals, as well as events, initiatives, campaigns etc.
The BCRP offers regular training opportunities for members in areas such as crime prevention, radio training, counter terrorism awareness and vulnerability training. We also offer courses at reduced rates to members such as Personal Licence courses.
There are regular briefings in all areas of operation and these are either weekly or monthly and across both the retail and night time economies.
We strive to offer our members more and develop new projects throughout the year with a view to empowering our members to help to reduce crime and disorder which impacts on their business and area of trade.
You will have access to a dedicated Business Crime Partnership manager and the support network within the PABCIS HUB which manages the exclusion schemes, warnings, and the intelligence element of the Partnership on behalf of the business community and its members.
PABCIS also provides a Countywide Manager who provides strategic support at local, regional and national level.
If your business which is an area funded by annual subscription, you will receive an annual invoice for membership directly from our radio suppliers who collect income on our behalf. If you join part way through a year, then the first invoice will be on a pro rata basis. Radio rentals are paid separately and are either invoiced quarterly, biannually or annually.
There are around 900 members of PABCIS. They span both the retail, daytime and night-time economies as well as leisure outlets.
PABCIS has an Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) with Staffordshire Police allowing us to obtain certain images of individuals whose offending has led to them being excluded by the BCRP or those who are in danger of exclusion. These images are shared with members solely for the prevention and detection of crime and disorder and strict protocols are followed when sharing such images.
Members can access a list of individuals on our secure website or smart phone app. You can access the website but you have to be a member of the BCRP and you will need a log in and password linked to you personally to be able to proceed. You will take responsibility for accessing the data in compliance with GDPR and The Data Protection Act 2018. If you are a member of the BCRP and cannot access the site please contact PABCIS. You can also receive information on individuals who are impacting in your area by attending the local briefings which take place on a regular basis.
You can report incidents to the BCRP using our secure website or smart phone app. Simply select the “report incident” button at the top of the page and answer the relevant questions. When you submit your report an email summary will be sent directly to the BCRP staff to deal with.
Any incidents of crime and disorder or anti-social behaviour that happen in your venue should be reported to the BCRP. This is so we can work with you and other members to identify individuals who are causing issues within our members’ premises.
This helps us to issue exclusion notices, where applicable it also helps us to inform other members of people they need to be aware of. We also collate this information in case action is necessary for example Criminal Behaviour Orders. Further to this we can make referrals to other agencies to help stop re-offending.
As public service budgets and resources get smaller, fewer people are reporting crime to the police for a variety of reasons. Collecting this information helps us to see a clearer picture of crime in Staffordshire in order to try and get responses and resources where they are most needed. It also helps the BCRP to fight for business crime to get higher on the agenda of partner agencies such as the police or local council.
We can help by giving you the tools you need to help prevent incidents in the first place. By using the radio and the secure website, you will be alerted to any potential offenders in the area so you can refuse entry. We also offer prevention training.
If an incident does occur we can help identify those responsible and, if necessary, issue exclusion notices. We can also raise individuals who re-offend regularly with Staffordshire Police and work alongside them to stop future offending.
The BCRP also organise free training opportunities for members which include crime prevention alongside a host of other projects that could be of assistance to you.
FAQs DISC
DISC is the BCRP secure website which provides members with accurate intelligence, alerts and up to date images of known offenders subject to exclusions. It also shows images of individuals who are in danger of exclusion so that they can be proactively prevented from offending and hence being excluded. Members can also use DISC to report incidents to the BCRP/PABCIS.
Before you can log on to DISC you will need to be sent log in details by a member of the BCRP staff.
You will be sent an email which will contain a link. If you click this link it will open up a webpage which will enable you to create your account.
If you are a member of PABCIS and do not have log in details for DISC please contact the PABCIS Hub.
For Data Protection purposes if an account has been idle for three months the account is automatically deleted. An email is usually sent to inform the account holder that this action will be taken if they do not log on. Periodically all members will be asked to recertify their accounts to make sure they are complying with our rules for accessing the site. If you require access to the site please contact the PABCIS Hub.
The DISC app features the same information and functionality as the website but in a more mobile friendly format.
To download the app first make sure you have created your account using the link you will have been sent via email. Then simply search for “Littoralis DISC APP” in either Google Play or APP stores (depending on which phone you have). It’s a completely free download.
The information on the DISC site is for MEMBERS ONLY and cannot be shared in any format with anyone who does not work for your store/venue. Please ensure that any members of staff who have access to the site know that they must not share any of the information in any way. It CANNOT be shown to anyone (including anyone whose image is on the website). See FAQ Data Protection, at the top of this page, for further information.
Support for Radios
Each local area will generally have a BCRP town link radio system which is used by members for the prevention and detection of crime and disorder. Businesses work together to pass information to each other so you are aware that individuals who might be involved in criminal offences or causing anti-social behaviour are in your area and heading your way. This helps businesses know who they want to let into their stores and venues but also sets a tone that Staffordshire does not tolerate certain kinds of behaviour.
There is an approved radio protocol in place for each local area which is in the main consistent across the County. Generally the radio is in place to alert each other to incidents, but it can be monitored by the CCTV operators and in certain cases by the police. It is not a direct link to the police. Radio procedure and training is provided by PABCIS and our radio suppliers, MRS Communications.
No! Using the BCRP radio in each area is simple and easy and you do not need to know the NATO alphabet or any other fancy radio lingo, but we do expect a certain standard of operation. Full training on radio use is provided, and can be refreshed as often as required.
Please report this to the PABCIS Hub 01875 233190, or MRS Communications – 02920 810 810
You can use the radio to communicate with other local businesses in your area, and if you are in a town where they are employed you can communicate with BID Ambassadors, Stewards, Wardens, Rangers etc. You can also communicate with the CCTV and the police subject to the agreed protocols which are available as part of the training and membership package. If you wish to have a further copy of the protocol relevant your area, then please contact the PABCIS Hub. The radios do not replace the 999 system, or the 101 system.
If your query has not been answered by points 1 to 5, please call the PABCIS HUB on 01785 233190 or email businesscrimepartnership@gmail.com where we will do our best to resolve your problem.
The BCRP and MRS Communications can provide extra training in the operation and use of the radio handsets. Training sessions can be tailored to suit individual member requirements and will be free of charge. Training will include:
- Receiving and making calls
- Alarm activation
- Professional incident reporting
- Threat identification
- Charging and maintaining the unit
Ideally we would encourage your business to identify a radio champion to assist with training on an ongoing basis. See You Tube: