Front Lines
news/analysis
MOZART v
MOSQUITO DO
BATTLE IN THE
NEIGHBOUR-HOODIE
CHILD PRODIGY’S MUSIC IS A TURN
Andy Pope
National Business Crime Partnership Manager
OFF FOR CONGREGATING GANGS – The Co-operative
IT’S official – Mozart is a turn be picked up by youngsters a magistrate in Cheshire, people into our stores, but
off for young people who of a certain age, but Mozart rolled out Mozart and other we don’t want anti-social
congregate outside is proving to be a cost- classical artists to 215 stores – behaviour that you can often
community stores and take effective alternative along at a cost of £645 per store – get on the estates that our
part in anti social behaviour with his contemporaries and carried out a thorough stores serve.
(ASB). Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, analysis of 105 of them. The Now, our staff and
Retailers and consumers in Rossini and Bach – and less research, over 16 days, customers feel safer and our
suburban communities have controversial. looked at staff and customer footfall has increased as a
been plagued by bored Mosquito has created its views, times of day and days result. We have also achieved
gangs who gather outside own disquiet among civil of the week and overall a positive result in terms of
local stores to the detriment liberty groups and parents revealed a dramatic drop in public relations exposure
of trade, because shoppers because of potential, as yet ASBs and increasing footfall. because it is a quirky and
are too frightened to run the unknown, long-term damage There was an 89 per cent unusual approach to an age-
gauntlet of taunting that can be done to young, drop in ASB outside of the old issue. If we were to pay
teenagers. undeveloped ears in an stores and a year on year for that exposure, it would
With the increased fear of attempt to prevent gangs decrease in reported crime. cost more than £1 million.”
street crime, the Co- congregating outside stores. In 2004, the first time the The Mozart strategy is one
operative Group is fighting Now Andy Pope, the Co- survey was conducted across of many different initiatives
back against the ‘hoodies’ in op’s national business crime nine stores, there was a drop the Co-op team is engaged
the ‘hood’ in order to reclaim partnership manager, has of 21 per cent of reported in under the stewardship of
the streets by their stores. switched his crime crimes. The following year Pope and his team.
The ethical store’s prevention strategy fully the research of 43 stores “it is about giving back to
approach is slightly behind the classics. showed a decrease of 67 per the communities that we
unconventional – the crime “We started the Mozart cent and the latest research serve. We work with the
co-ordination team have trial in 2004 in nine pilot of the 105 stores highlights a people on the estates and
enlisted the help of another locations where we played 70 per cent reduction. the local police to make
precocious youth – Wolfgang the music in the front area of Overall there has been a 54 them better and safer for
Amadeus Mozart. the store. It could be per cent drop in ASBs year on everyone. We have been
His Christian name may switched on and off by store year. involved in art initiatives in
have been Wolfgang, but as staff when gangs gathered “This has all been achieved prisons, giving push bikes to
far as modern gangs are and they could also control for a total expenditure of officers to patrol their
concerned the 18th century the volume. The result was less than £80,000 in special patches, and even creating
child prodigy’s music is a that the kids hated it and recording units,” says Pope, a police stations in our stores,
turn-off for teenagers, when moved on. This meant that former military police officer and we will continue to
played outside more than the customers wanting a late who started his retail career explore all avenues of
100 of its local shops, night bottle of milk were as a management trainee at reducing crime in and
according to new research happy to come to the store Waitrose. around the local
carried out by the Co-op. so staff and consumers felt “In my mind Mozart lives communities. It is about
The store has previously that they could once again on – it is not street music and working together which is
trialed Mosquito – the high- come into our shops.” it is not cool so the kids move music to everyone’s ears,” he
pitched sound that can only Last year Pope, who is also on. We welcome young adds. RF
ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2008 • 07
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