PABCIS - playing a critical role to build confidence in the city centre.
PABCIS (Partnerships Against Business Crime in Stoke) has been playing a crucial role in supporting communities and business across the city since 1988, setting the UK’s gold standard.
At a Glance
Location: Based across Staffordshire, PABCIS headquarters are based in Stoke-on-Trent city centre
What they do: PABCIS provides guidance, support & technology in Stoke-on-Trent city centre and across Staffordshire, and is instrumental in making city centres & high streets safe places to work, visit & invest in. Through innovative partnership working, creating a crucial link between police, courts and both the business and wider community, PABCIS provides a significant positive impact that builds high street confidence, creates more welcoming spaces for locals and visitors alike and helps grow the profile of high streets across the city and county.
History: Borne out of the UK’s first ever crime partnership & radio link, set up in Stoke-on Trent city centre in 1988. Since then, the Stoke-on-Trent Crime Partnership, PABCIS has been leading the way on gold standard compliance, innovation & city centre partnerships across Britain ever since, initiating best practice initiatives and shaping national policy and governance.
Highlights:
• Founded by Julie Davies OBE, based at Hanley’s old Littlewoods store, who then went on to a board member for the NABCP (National Association of Business Crime Partnerships), PABCIS has always been underpinned by strong partnerships and innovative adoption of technology and approach.
• Setting the standards for the future national governing body, Stoke-on-Trent city centre has been at the epicentre of initiative development that now supports all businesses in the city centre.
• Based in Police stations across Staffordshire, PABCIS crucially builds the bridge between civilian intelligence about crime and anti-social behaviour on the high street and Police intervention and court action which provides the essential safe environment that any high street needs to thrive & be attractive, vibrant spaces for all.
The Story
Founded by Julie Davies OBE, based at Hanley’s old Littlewoods store, who then went on to a board member for the NABCP (National Association of Business Crime Partnerships), PABCIS has always been underpinned by strong partnerships and innovative adoption of technology and approach. PABCIS formerly came into being in 2008 when it also included the night time economy as part of its remit to build relationships between the Police, high street business and civilians. Setting the standards for the future national governing body, Stoke-on-Trent city centre has been at the epicentre of initiative development that now supports all businesses in the city centre. Based in Police stations across Staffordshire, PABCIS crucially builds the bridge between civilian intelligence about crime and anti-social behaviour on the high street and Police intervention and court action which provides the essential safe environment that any high street needs to thrive & be attractive, vibrant spaces for all.
Over the last 12 months, PABCIS in Stoke-on-Trent city centre, has leveraged its unique funding model with Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, who pay for PABCIS membership for all businesses in the city centre, to maximise its positive impact on crime prevention. City centre membership has grown from 64 to 145 and gives members access to crucial intelligence about repeat perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, theft and other crime, as well as a safe and efficient way to share their own information securely and in real time. This funding model ensures that no business is left unsupported by the PABCIS team and helps combat both the realities of high street crime and any negative perceptions of those behaviours to potential visitors and customers. Through the use of their secure, invitation only app, business owners are able to share vital information about individuals who are either committing crime or are causing a nuisance on the high street that might impact business, safety or how welcoming the high street might feel.
The secure app is technology that has been adapted in partnership with PABCIS & Staffordshire Police to ensure that information sharing meets stringent data compliance as well as providing relevant information that could lead to legal action if required. Once invited to be part of this information sharing scheme, users can confidently share immediate information about activity in the city centre, suspicions about individuals or safety concerns, without compromising the rights of any individuals or future legal intervention. App user numbers have almost doubled to 186 since 2024. Through shared databases and general intelligence sharing, all relevant stakeholders can take appropriate action, from PABCIS support for business owners, police support to intervene or BID support to develop future initiatives to help revitalise public realm, consumer confidence and footfall. The app also provides a simpler reporting route for users, compared to formal reporting systems direct to the Police, and this has resulted in a growth of anti-social behaviour reporting via the app of 70%, providing valuable intelligence for the high street. These working partnerships are further strengthened by fortnightly network meetings that take place in the Potteries Centre, allowing business members to share experiences, best practice and intelligence with the purpose of preventing conflict, violence or any behaviour that might intimidate or worry consumers or the high street workforce.
This preventative approach is designed to help avoid confrontations within retail or hospitality venues that could not only result in crimes being committed but also create traumatic experiences for witnesses. The result of such action has led to a lowering of crime rate in the city centre and the removal of repeat offenders through intelligence gathering that have sometimes led to CBOs (Criminal Behaviour Order) being issued by the courts. There are currently 55 CBOs in place for the city centre with compliance rate of about 90%. Over the last 12 months, thefts have reduced by 34%, nightlife incidents by 40% and assaults are down by 26%. Partners and business report rising confidence in the support available to them as they continue to make the high street a commercially successful place to operate in and a vibrant place for all visitors.
The work of PABCIS and its partnerships in the city centre has led to the creation of a brand new policing post in the city centre from June 2026. PABCIS has worked out of the city centre Police station for many years and this close working relationship has helped bring about this new key role and visible Police presence for the high street. The new officer will be exclusively posted in the city centre and won’t be called away to take part in other policing activities. With the sole purpose of creating confidence and a new day to day contact between business and crime prevention, the new officer will be able to build on the work of PABCIS and the app, by growing the confidence of all high street users and helping attract local residents and visitors back to the city centre.
PABCIS are instrumental to the work of making high streets more welcoming spaces across the county and this positive city centre impact is another example of PABCIS setting gold standard best practice that others replicate. Leading the way for the UK, PABCIS is revitalising public realm, helping attract local and visitor footfall by ensuring all spaces are welcoming and vibrant, which can encourage businesses to invest in people and new plans within the city centre.
Impact Data
• 145 City Centre PABCIS members across the city centre
• 186 monthly PABCIS app users
• 70% growth in intelligence sharing via the PABCIS app
• 34% reduction in city centre thefts from businesses
• 40% reduction in nightlife incidents
• 26% reduction in city centre assaults
• PABCIS was the UK’s first ever crime partnership in 1988
• PABCIS sets the gold standard of Crime partnerships across the UK
Next Steps
Website: https://www.pabcis.co.uk/
Email: businesscrimepartnership@gmail.com
Phone: 01785 233190
NACP (National Association of Crime Partnerships): https://www.nabcp.com/
