Business crime partnership and town council expand Kettering ASB reporting scheme

Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership, working with Kettering Town Council, are delighted to announce that Kettering Anti-Social Behaviour Reporting System (KARS), is expanding from the town centre and the Grange shopping precinct to include many other retail areas in the town. 

KARS will now extend its reach to help businesses prevent and detect anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the town centre, the Grange precinct, Highfield Crescent, London Road, Hampden Crescent, St Stephen’s Road and St John’s Road, Brambleside and Lake Avenue.

The NBCP, together with Northamptonshire Police, local ASB officers and businesses, work together to prevent and deter criminal activities but also disrupt the root causes of anti-social behaviour, enhancing community safety for shoppers, workers and all visitors.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in proactively addressing issues related to crime and anti-social behaviour.

KARS uses easily accessible technology, known as DISC, to enable member businesses to identify persons responsible for anti-social behaviour and submit reports to the Business Crime Partnership. 

This intelligence is shared with the correct bodies such as the Neighbourhood Policing Team, North Northants Community Safety Officers, the Environment Department and other relevant agencies, to gather intelligence and take appropriate action.     

The Town Council has allocated the funding to enable this pioneering new system to be managed for another year, to ensure that all businesses in the primary shopping areas of the town can be part of this scheme free of charge.

Alison Farr, from Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership said: “We are very pleased that Kettering Town Council have not only renewed the KARS scheme, but also expanded it, so we can support more businesses to improve the environment around retail outlets across Kettering.

“This is building on the successes that we have already seen in the last 12 months, with increased police patrols and the recruitment of wardens by North Northamptonshire Council to help enforce current ASB legislation to keep Kettering safe.

“The NBCP already works in partnership with Northamptonshire Police and manages all the Retail Crime Initiatives across the county, seeing fantastic results in the identification and prosecution of offenders.’’

Andy Byatt, Chair of the Town Council’s Finance Committee which approved the increase in funding, said: “The Town Council under its new administration is determined to improve the safety and security of people who visit and work in the town centre and local shopping centres – this is the first of several initiatives to make our town centre and shopping areas better places to visit and work.”

The Town Council and the NBCP invite all businesses and stakeholders to actively participate in this initiative.

Together, we can build a safer, more vibrant community for everyone.