A rollout of the GRIP (Grimsby Retailers in Partnership) 2-way radio system helps North Cleethorpes retailers
When: rollout into Cleethorpes during 2023 and 2024. Programme ongoing
Partners: primarily GRIP CIC. VANEL. Capacity Buildings Ltd. Humberside Police. Other business partners from the GRIP network. Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner for funding.
Grimsby Retailers In Partnership (GRIP) is Grimsby town centre’s Business Crime Reduction Partnership. Working closely with the business community, Humberside Police and North East Lincolnshire Council the organisation deals with issues of crime and disorder within the main shopping area of the town centre.’ It is an independent CIC but VANEL supports the organisation and Big Local North Cleethorpes maintains a close connecting to the group too.
The overall aim of GRIP is to “help reduce retail crime and keep shoppers safe” by working in partnership with businesses to support them to prevent shop theft and Anti-Social Behaviour(ASB) towards their staff. Each member organisation has a two-way radio system, access to an online app and a connected support network.
After the successful establishment of the shop watch scheme in Grimsby Town Centre and then into the Freeman Street shopping area, VANEL was able to use this success to secure additional funds from the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner to rollout GRIP for the benefit of Grimsby Road retailers and then into St Peter’s Avenue and Cleethorpes Town Centre to support traders there.
Big Local North Cleethorpes has not had to direct invest into this local GRIP rollout but has been supportive and encouraging of the programme by providing meeting space and a Cleethorpes base for radio distribution. Local team members based at 82 Grimsby Road regularly support GRIP CIC and the Police in their work to rollout radios across the North Cleethorpes footprint.
At the end of 2024 there are over 30 signed up GRIP members across Cleethorpes and this will continue to expand into 2025. Statistics from the Christmas of 2024 (via Humberside Police) showed a significant reduction in shop thefts during the holiday season and the Police themselves attributed this in some part to the existence of a radio system across Cleethorpes.
Further information
See GRIP CIC information on Group 2025 website.