A “game-changing” approach to improving safety and security in Northampton town centre has been lauded on the national stage, picking up an award for the impact it has had on cutting crime and boosting public confidence.
Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) collected the Gold award in the Safety and Security Drive at the National BID Awards held in London this week.
Having made safety one of its top strategic priorities five years ago, Northampton BID teamed up with multiple partners to launch the Northampton Town Anti-Social Behaviour Reporting Scheme (NTARS).
This business-led programme centres around the use of DISC, the UK’s leading crime-reduction software platform, and gives every levy-paying town centre business access to the system.
The scheme gives businesses the ability to report anti-social behaviour in real time, from begging, street drinking and harassment to environmental crime, criminal damage, graffiti, fly tipping and rough sleeping. Reports feed directly into West Northamptonshire Council’s ASB Case Team and the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership (NBCP) hub at Campbell Square Police Station.
Training is delivered by the BID team, with ongoing support from partner agencies and BID hosts – who patrol the town equipped with radios and body-worn cameras, collating evidence for authorities and supporting businesses on the ground.
Mark Mullen, operations manager at Northampton Town Centre BID, said: “The combination of reporting tools, human presence and consistent communication creates a game-changing loop of intelligence, intervention, and accountability.
“Over time, NTARS has evolved beyond its original remit and the way it has been successfully deployed has been a catalyst for cultural change. The relationships between businesses and police are now stronger than at any point in recent memory.
“NTARS intelligence has played a pivotal role in reshaping police deployment in the town. When we first launched the scheme, Northampton town centre had just two dedicated officers. By presenting accurate NTARS data, the BID and our partners successfully lobbied for reinvestment. Today, the town centre is resourced by an Inspector, two Sergeants, 14 Police Officers, and six PCSOs, a transformation directly enabled by BID-led reporting.”
Northampton BID was also instrumental in the development of Operation Workforce, a substantial eight-week police operation launched in August 2024 to tackle ASB, retail crime, drug activity and serious violence. NTARS data, partner meetings and business testimonies provided the blueprint for the operation. Its success, 60 arrests, increased patrol visibility, strengthened business liaison, and long-term new policing practices, has since led to a more permanent shift in police activity in the town centre.
The scheme has also enabled earlier interventions around rough sleeping, and new safety innovations such as CCTV Pods, piloted at Vintage Guru before attracting police commissioner investment to fund wider deployment from summer 2025.
Based on its success in Northampton, NTARS is now recognised as the county benchmark for business-led security and is already being remodelled and used in Kettering, Wellingborough and Kingsthorpe.
Mr Mullen added: “NTARS is now deeply embedded within the fabric of Northampton town centre. It informs Town Centre Task Group discussions, shapes police activity, and produces weekly intelligence summaries that businesses rely on. It has also played a major role in Northampton retaining its prestigious Purple Flag accreditation for a seventh straight year.
“It demonstrates what a BID can achieve when it uses intelligence, technology and collaboration to drive real-world change.”
NTARS is primarily funded by Northampton Town Centre BID and supported by West Northamptonshire Council and Northampton Town Council. It is delivered in partnership with pfbb UK, Northamptonshire Police, NBCP, and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
