Hotel Watch launched
A new scheme to keep hotels safe has been launched in Lincoln.
Using the same set up as well-established Shop Watch schemes, Hotel Watch gives those running and staffing hotels and B&Bs access to an app which they can use to alert others to potentially suspicious people or activity on their premises, including photographs to enable others to watch out for potential issues.
The project focuses on hospitality-related crime such as pop-up brothels, child sexual exploitation, modern slavery, missing people, or drug dealing.
Inspector Jon Birkin from the Lincoln Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "We know that equipping staff with the information and online tools to stay ahead of criminals works through Shop Watch, and this replicates that, but tailored to the sector.
"To support the project, staff at hotels and B&Bs have been given booklets containing tailored crime prevention and awareness advice for different areas of the business to make it more difficult for criminals to use their premises and make them safer for guests and staff. This includes reception staff being wary of guests who cannot get their own name and address correct, arrive without any luggage, ask to change large denominations of money or quote credit card numbers but the actual card is never seen, or make chance bookings and then look to extend their stays.
"Housekeeping staff are warned to be wary of people spotted on more than one floor or asking to be let into a room they claim to have been locked out of or entering rooms that are in the middle of being cleaned. And restaurant and bar staff have been told to be on the lookout for people who might move from table to table, take a seat without ordering anything, or deliberately sit next to an occupied table when plenty of others are vacant.
"This project has been launched to increase prevention and detection of crime, rather than in response to a surge in issues."
Businesses sign up to the partnership via Lincoln BIG, which is managing it on a day-to-day basis, in close contact with officers from Lincolnshire Police. The scheme includes members of the hospitality industry, Lincolnshire Police, City of Lincoln Council, Lincoln BIG and Destination Lincolnshire.
