Companies across Aycliffe Business Park have been armed with 20 crime-busting radios.
The communication tool have been funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour on the business park.
The County Durham and Darlington PCC provided a grant worth just over £9,000 for the devices, which will help tenants on Aycliffe Business Park communicate with each other to warn of suspicious activity.
Committed to supporting businesses and retailers against crime, the PCC has funded the resources as part of a wider plan to expand Business Watch schemes across County Durham.
Further funding is being considered for the provision of CCTV on the business park.
In recent months, police have received increasing reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and crime on Aycliffe Business Park, and on the roads leading into the park.
These include incidents where stones have been thrown at passing cars and where several off-road bikes have been using the Business Park roads as a mini racetrack.
Due to a lack of communication between individual business premises, security workers and staff have been unable to keep track when the perpetrators move around the park. This means they have often already left the area by the time officers arrive.
In response, Durham Constabulary launched BPACT (Businesses, Police and Communities Together) – a scheme to increase confidence on the business park and resolve problems collectively.
It also has the aim of encouraging businesses based within the park to invest in the wider community of Newton Aycliffe, supporting charities and community groups that go above and beyond to support residents.
There are currently 20 businesses on the park with 24-hour security.
By introducing a radio system, security workers can now talk directly to each other to report and warn of ASB and suspicious activity.
It will also allow firms to position their CCTV cameras to secure vital evidence that could assist an investigation or prosecution.
Commissioner Allen said: “These radios are a fantastic addition to Aycliffe Business Park and will not only help businesses to protect themselves from criminals but will also ensure more perpetrators are brought to justice.
“Crime costs businesses billions of pounds every year. We cannot underestimate the emotional and psychological impact these losses inflict on their owners, not to mention the damage they wreak on livelihoods and the health of the economy.”
The new security radios will also link to another device in the local police station to enable available officers to attend swiftly in the event of a live incident or crime.
The scheme is designed like the Shop Watch initiative however all security guards will be encouraged to communicate with one another exclusive of the Police, particularly on evenings when incidents occur.
Aycliffe Business Park is spread across 400 hectares and is home to more than 500 diverse and progressive companies, employing a total of around 10,000 people.
