New initiative to combat crime in city centre.

Birmingham’s Southside district is improving the way it tackles crime by introducing online intelligence system Facewatch.

The online crime reporting facility allows Southside’s large network of independent retailers and entertainment venues to report crime instantly and effectively to each other and to local police.

Funded in Southside by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Facewatch is on trial in the district which is currently the only part of Birmingham to introduce a police approved system of its kind.

As well as reporting crimes directly to the police, Facewatch allows businesses to record details of low level offences, complete witness statements, upload CCTV images, obtain crime reference numbers and cancel stolen credit cards immediately.

Julia Chance, Southside BID manager, said: “Facewatch is a fantastic aid for targeting crime and improving the flow of communication between our independent businesses. It will create a long-term, cost effective solution for dealing with criminal activity while boosting safety within the area.”

To find out more about Southside visit www.enjoysouthside.co.uk