The first 10 businesses have been accredited through a scheme to help protect customers and be a safe place for people in Cleveland.
The Businesses Against Abuse (BAA) initiative is designed to tackle violence against women and girls, child exploitation and knife crime.
Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, in Hartlepool, was one of the first businesses to receive the accreditation.
Their employees have now received specialist training backed by professionals from Ivison Trust, ARCH, St John Ambulance and Eva Women’s Aid.
In recognition, they have received staff training materials, pin badges, window stickers and lanyards to demonstrate their commitment to tackling predatory behaviour, identifying ways to respond and understand reporting processes.
They also received bleed control cabinets and kits so that staff members can give life-saving first aid.
Delivered by the Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence (CURV), the aim is to reduce incidents of serious violence in public space areas, particularly in town centre locations.
More than 60 Cleveland organisations from the retail, night-time economy and transport sectors took part in the BAA training and are working towards the full accreditation by training their own workforce.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Matt Storey said: “The response to the BAA initiative has been fantastic and we are immensely proud of the commitment shown by businesses that have taken part so far.
“It’s great to know accreditations are already being received so early in delivery of the scheme and I encourage those who have taken part to share the knowledge gained from the training with their employees to secure the Businesses Against Abuse status.
“Ensuring staff members are trained to spot predatory behaviour and understand how it can escalate into crime makes it easier to step in early and safeguard customers.
“Making our communities safer and more resilient is a partnership effort and we could not make the impact on safety that we are striving for without the support of local businesses.”
Nik McDonald, Middleton Grange Centre manager added: “We are incredibly proud to be accredited through the Businesses Against Abuse initiative. The training our team completed has been genuinely beneficial, equipping us with valuable knowledge and practical skills to help protect our customers and create a safer environment for everyone who visits our centre.
“Knowing that our staff can now identify predatory behaviour, respond appropriately, and potentially provide life-saving first aid gives us tremendous confidence in our ability to safeguard our community.”
Businesses Against Abuse accredited organisations so far:
- Head of Steam, Norton
- The Den, Middlesbrough
- Cleveland Centre and Captain Cook’s Square, Middlesbrough
- Village Crossing Bar, Billingham
- Daisy Mae’s Vintage Tea Room, Redcar
- Hartlepool Cricket Club
- Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, Hartlepool
- The Riverbank, Stockton
- Hillstreet Shopping Centre, Middlesbrough
- Moar Coaching, Middlesbrough
For more information on Businesses Against Abuse, visit: Businesses Against Abuse – Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner
It is hoped further training opportunities for businesses will be available through the BAA scheme in the future.