Security

Background

Throughout the planning, development and operation of The Trafford Centre the safety and security of its customers and employees has been a priority.

With over 29 million visits annually, as well as 7000 employees, a highly effective security provision is required. Security within The Trafford Centre is a fully integrated system supported by state-of-the-art technology and is viewed by the shopping centre industry as a ‘best practice’ approach.

Security consultants worked alongside architects and other design teams to ensure safety and crime issues were a key part of the design equation.

The security consultants identified six areas which the design team had to address:

• Shoplifting
• Theft from motor vehicles
• Theft of motor vehicles
• Burglary and burglary with intent
• Robbery and theft from the person
• Criminal damage

Secured by Design Award

From the outset of the project it was the management team’s aim to achieve the Secured by Design accolade. This vision became a reality when The Trafford Centre gained the award from the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office in May 1999, and it was the first building of its size and type to receive the prestigious accreditation.

The Centre was required to comply with an extensive list of criteria for the award. These included fencing the entire boundary and providing adequate lighting to illuminate the site after dark. The award also requires that gates into service yards are carefully controlled via intercom and public toilets are designed to avoid opportunities for drug dealing. Finally there had to be direct communication between all retailers and the control room in order to report any incidents immediately.

The security provision at the Centre is monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure the Secured By Design standards are adhered to.

Training

The level of training which security officers receive far exceeds programmes in place among the Centre’s UK and European counterparts.

All officers are trained in first aid, with some being trained to an advanced level. Greater Manchester Fire Service also provides fire marshal training.

Additional training has been provided for all officers in a wide range of appropriate skills including dealing with major incidents, anti-social behaviour, preventative policing, forensics, crime-scene management and preparing statements and evidence.

All this training has been based around customer care which is believed to be the most effective approach to crime prevention within the retail sector.

Security Fast Facts

• With 101 security officers, 310 CCTV cameras, a state-of-the-art control room and a team of plain clothes security personnel, The Trafford Centre presents a united front against criminal activity.
• In addition, the Centre operates a successful Retail Crime Initiative, set up in September 1998, which runs in partnership with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and retailers. Many of the retail partners are members of the initiative and they benefit from a free-flow of intelligence between GMP’s Crime Management Unit, the Centre itself and fellow retailers. As a result of this diligent approach, The Trafford Centre has successfully intercepted a number of frauds.
• Any person committing an offence is issued with an exclusion order, preventing their return to the Centre in the future. The security system and protocols in place enable The Trafford Centre to recognise known criminals and track their movement throughout the Centre.

ANPR
(Automatic Number Plate Recognition)

In 2003 The Trafford Centre was the first shopping and leisure destination of its kind in the UK to successfully introduce the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system. The pioneering initiative was launched in conjunction with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to detect and locate vehicles associated with crime as they enter the giant site.

The ANPR project cost £220,000 and was jointly funded by The Trafford Centre and GMP with a contribution of £78,000 from the Police Standards Unit BCU Innovation. It involved the installation of 13 covert cameras in strategic locations across the site. The cameras are the size of a hand held camcorder, fitted with a specialist infrared capability so they can continue to scan in the dark.

The system utilises some of the most advanced technology in the world to identify stolen vehicles or those listed as wanted for a variety of crimes. Within seconds the registration of the vehicle is verified and checked against a series of local intelligence databases, confidential police records and the Police National Computer (PNC). If the vehicle is listed as stolen, or as being associated with any type of crime, an alarm is raised in the Centre’s control room.

Police officers in GMP’s control room at Stretford police station then operate a scaled response ensuring that those vehicles relating to more serious crimes are given the highest response priority. The location of the vehicle is displayed simultaneously in both The Trafford Centre and the police control rooms, and the Centre’s security team, working in partnership with GMP, monitor the vehicle and its occupant(s) until officers are deployed to the site.

The majority of the Centre’s customers are law abiding citizens but this system helps GMP and the Centre’s security team target a small minority of individuals who are wanted in connection with a number of crimes. The presence of the system makes the Centre even safer for customers, retailers and employees as it acts as a deterrent to criminals who may be thinking of visiting the site.

ANPR is an excellent example of how successful joint partnerships between the public sector and a private sector organisation such as The Trafford Centre can effectively fight crime in an intelligence-led way. Pilots which have taken place elsewhere in the country have shown that utilising ANPR technology can effectively increase the efficiency of police officers ten fold.