With an unbroken view along one of Bradford’s busiest shopping streets, there could be no better place to site the hub of retail crime-busting activity.

The glass-walled office housing City Centre Beat juts out into Kirkgate, giving a bird’s eye panorama of shoppers coming and going. It also looks out across the escalators bringing shoppers into the Kirkgate Centre, and further down into the busy first-floor mall.

City Centre Beat (CCB) works in partnership with a number of agencies including West Yorkshire Police, Bradford Council, and the Kirkgate Centre, to drive down crime and reduce fear of crime in the area.

And, along with the Neighbourhood Policing Team, it has been instrumental in helping to slash the number of thefts from shops in Bradford city centre by 41 per cent over the past four years – bucking the national trend.

This has been achieved through the rigorous application of a number of initiatives introduced as part of the CCB’s Business Crime Partnership, which have served as a deterrent to those looking to steal from retailers.

These include a radio-link system – which allows shops to warn each other if a known offender is spotted or if someone is behaving suspiciously – distributing and sharing information through an intranet system, holding regular meetings and issuing banning orders to repeat offenders.

“At the heart of the system is our radio network, linked to the CCTV network,” says Steve Longbottom, joint manager of City Centre Beat with Steve Baker. “Most members have radios, and these are also carried by neighbourhood policing officers and PCSOs – they can hear any communication between the members.

“We provide our members with photographs of known, repeat offenders and hold fortnightly briefings of current crime trends affecting members.”

Bradford suffers from repeat offenders. “They are local and are often stealing to fund a drug habit,” says Steve. “We have very little or no evidence of travelling criminals.”

Organised shoplifting gangs do not tend to target the city, due, Steve believes, to a combination of geographic factors and the fact that the range of shops is not as great as in other centres.

The partnership has, at present, seven people banned from entering members’ premises. Anyone issued with a ban is sent a letter informing them that they will be trespassing should they breach the ruling, and could end up with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order.

“These bans are not handed out lightly. Those receiving them have persistently offended,” says Steve.

The number of members joining CCB – which is staffed by two managers, a crime intelligence co-ordinator and a PCSO, manning a police contact point – has rocketed from 120 two years ago to 175 today. They include not only retailers, but commercial organisations, small businesses, the University of Bradford, Bradford College, Bradford Central Library and the Alhambra.

In the run-up to Christmas, members are being extra-vigilant due to increased numbers of shoppers. Steve stresses that while the focus is on shop theft, CCB targets all crime, such as theft from handbags.

“The success in driving down crime has led to both retailers and shoppers feeling safer and more secure,” says Steve. The reduction in offences bucks the national picture, which saw a rise of a third in shoplifting offences between 2008 and 2009.

Brendan Birkett, loss prevention investigator at Waterstones in Bradford, says: “It is brilliant. So many people can be involved through the radio and CCTV links. It has hugely reduced thefts from here.”

Andrew Johnson, of B&M Bargains in Rawson Place, says: “It is not only helping to cut shop theft, but if there is any sort of disturbance you can quickly get in touch and someone will be there to help.”

Bill McCormack, operations manager for the Kirkgate Centre, describes the partnership as “excellent”.

“Members get regular updates on shop theft – who to look out for, who is banned from the city centre, and general security information. It is a very effective deterrent.”

City Ward Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector Kevin Pickles stresses that the partnership sends out clear messages to offenders that if they come into town intending to commit crime, they will be spotted and caught.

“I firmly believe that we can continue to work with CCB and drive down crime, and keep Bradford city centre an attractive place for business.”