Commerciality
The Independent Business Advisory Group (IBAG) is a strategic group designed to scrutinise Hertfordshire Constabulary’s response to crime types impacting Hertfordshire businesses, whilst providing consultative feedback to the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire (OPCC).
The IBAG provides the valuable role of critical friend to the OPCC, not as an independent group, but as a forum where independent advisors can give independent advice, enabling businesses to play their part in keeping Hertfordshire safe. The group, with representatives from membership organisations including the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Chamber of Commerce, Growth Hub, and Federation of Small Businesses together with SMEs, provides a barometer across the business sector around crime and community safety.
The group hold quarterly meetings which discuss police approaches to tackling business crime, and changes in policy that affect businesses. The group is intelligence-led to understand how the pattern of business crime is changing and a forum to disseminate crime prevention and community safety advice across the county.
Current members of the IBAG include:
Age UK
Cyber Security Centre at the University of Hertfordshire
We Do Stories
Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce
M2Accountants
HHBA, Dacorum
Royston BID
Shepherd Estate Agents
St Albans BID
Trio Telecom
Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre
Direct Path Solutions
Cheeky Munkey
Avari
Watford BID
Capricorn Security and Training
NFRN
Herts Growth Hub
Bulletproof Cyber Security
FSB Herts
Hertfordshire County Council
Cinnabar
Hertfordshire LEP
Ashbourne Insurance
Santander
Lumina Technologies
National Farmers' Union
Hertfordshire Agricultural
Any person from the business community in Hertfordshire is able to apply to be a member of the IBAG. They will be able to do this by registering their interest with the OPCC. ([email protected])
Those that are a member of any group whose aims and beliefs conflict with the role and objectives of the IBAG will be excluded from applying.
The IBAG takes a thematic approach to scrutinising different crime types that impact businesses. Recent meetings and seminars include:
July 2024 - Consulting businesses on the new Police and Crime Plan; and Retail Crime
December 2023 – Fraud and Cybercrime
October 2023 – Retail Crime
July 2023 – Technology and Crime Prevention how new technology is tackling business crime in hertfordshire
April 2023 – Serious and Organised Crime businesses advised how to help tackle organised crime groups in herts
December 2022 – Night-Time Economy
September 2022 – Commercial Burglary