Shannon Business Watch, first introduced in 2015, has been relaunched by Shannon Chamber in conjunction with An Garda SiochĂĄna. This crime prevention programme, designed by An Garda SiochĂĄna, is similar to the Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert scheme, whereby the Gardai and the community come together to prevent and reduce crime; in this instance, the Business Watch schemeâs focus is the business community.
Business Watch Shannon will provide a framework whereby the business community will be collaboratively instrumental in preventing crime in the industrial areas of Shannon. Through awareness and observation, they will become extra âeyes and earsâ for the Gardai and act as âWatchmenâ to their own and neighbouring premises in the prevention of crime.
Speaking at the launch in Shannon Airport House, Detective Sergeant Kevin OâHagan said that most crimes are crimes of opportunity and that the Business Watch scheme in Shannon will aim to reduce this opportunity. He urged businesses attending the launch to be vigilant at all times around the vicinity of their respective buildings, to initiate simple procedures to prevent crime from their premises and to work as a team to close down any crime evident in the area.
Shannon Chamber chief executive Helen Downes called on companies to volunteer as Business Watch coordinators for the sections of Shannon they operate from and in doing so to facilitate the formation of an intelligence network system in Shannon.
Garda Catherina OâRourke, Crime Prevention Officer, Crime Office Prevention Unit, Clare Division urged companies to avail of the free in-company security review available from An Garda SiochĂĄna.
Edel Mee, managing director, IT Security People, who described her job working with organisations to improve their IT security profile as the best job ever, brought a new perspective to the launch with her insights into the increasing level of cyber-crime.
âHackers can sit in the background for long periods. They donât know whatâs of value until they notice it so the challenge for companies is to stop hackers getting into their computer systems. A basic cyber-attack can take up to three weeks to assess and that can be a lot of down time for companies. Itâs critical to assess how a companyâs operations might be affected by an attack.
âData and information are the most valuable asset that many organisations have, which makes hardware and software security solutions an important part of every IT infrastructure, which mean users play a vital role in securing a companyâs network. One wrong click could bring a network down or cause a GDPR data breach,â she added.
Relaunching Shannon Business Watch scheme, Shannon Chamber chief executive Helen Downes said: âThis is another great opportunity for companies throughout Shannon to work together to prevent crime happening in their collective businesses, be that off-line or online crime. By being alert, aware, and a good neighbour, we are encouraging them to report anything they regard as criminally remiss in their areas.
âBusiness Watch will be managed by a group of coordinators with each coordinator acting as the link between the business community in a specific area of Shannon and the Gardai. Companies noticing anything remiss in their area are requested to contact one of the coordinators â the list will be published on our website in the coming weeks. Our aim is to reduce the level of crime in Shannon to zero; however, Business Watch is not intended, nor is it a substitute for, the daily services that the Shannon Garda station provides,â added Ms Downes.