A BARRY supermarket has renewed its support of an award-winning Barry crime prevention scheme which at reducing business-related crime by keeping tabs on known criminals.

Tesco, on Stirling Road, Barry has signed the new 2014 membership agreements for the store to renew their commitment and support as a member of business pact.

Dave Sharpe, chairman of PACT (Preventing Antisocial Crime Together), met with general manager John Mitchell.

The scheme uses a radio network, retailers work with CCTV operators to monitor anti-social behaviour in the town - creating a database of photographs and offenders' names.

Chairman, Dave Sharpe said: “Myself and Sarah O'Kelly the partnership’s secretary have spent a number of months to completely rewrite the partnerships constitution procedures and protocols as a result of changes in legislation regarding business crime reduction partnerships.

“Each member business will have to sign the new constitution and radio agreement rental documentation.

Business PACT are currently in the process of working towards renewing its accreditation status with the aim of once more achieving the Safer Business Award.

Each stage of this process has to be documented and when completed the partnership will be assessed by a representative of ABCP (Association of Business Crime Partnerships).

Business Pact will work with Apex Radio Systems, beginning Monday, April 28 to upgrade the partnership’s current analogue radio system to a new digital system.

Work is scheduled to be completed before it goes live on May 1 when all members, notified in advance, will receive training on the new system and be issued with their new radio.

Dave said: “Negotiations between business PACT and Apex Radio to upgrade to a digital radio system were completed and agreed in 201, but due to the council’s proposed plan to relocate CCTV and the monitoring of the radio system to Bridgend it had to be postponed.

Despite numerous requests to the council to confirm or deny the relocation the partnership has still to date not received a conclusive answer. We have decided to proceed with the upgrade and hope that the business members will not have to suffer any further inconveniences. that were beyond the control of the partnership.

“During the negotiations with Apex consideration was given to the current economic climate and in order to minimise the financial affect on our members and to evidence their continued support for the partnership Apex have agreed to cover the total cost of the investment at their own expense. There will be no additional cost passed on to our existing members.”

Business PACT is appealing for further volunteers from the business community to sit on the partnership’s committee.

Anyone interested or requiring further information should contact bizpatchair@gmail.com or 07886074231.