New Retail Crime Action Plan published
On Monday (23/10), NBCC lead Supt Patrick Holdaway attended a meeting chaired by the Policing Minister Chris Philp and 13 of the UK’s biggest retailers to launch the Retail Crime Action Plan.
The plan, which the NBCC was heavily involved in drafting, sets out advice for retailers on how to provide the best possible evidence for police to pursue in any case, making clear they should send CCTV footage of the whole incident and an image of the shoplifter via the digital evidence management system as quickly as possible after an offence has been committed.
Where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database using facial recognition technology to further aid efforts to identify and prosecute offenders – particularly prolific or potentially dangerous individuals.
The action plan outlines how police attendance at the scene for retail crime will be prioritised in circumstances where violence has been used, where a repeat or prolific offender has been detained or where evidence needs to be promptly secured.
It also outlines how all reasonable lines of enquiry will be pursued to identify offenders, secure evidence, seek to recover property and ensure witnesses are identified and interviewed.
Patrick said: “We are pleased to have played such a key role in drafting and developing the new Retail Crime Action Plan along with the NPCC. It demonstrates policing’s commitment to tackling shoplifting and provides clarity on how the police should respond to reports of retail crime. Importantly it also provides practical advice on how retailers can secure the best evidence possible to aid police investigations and help bring those responsible to justice.”
The meeting also saw Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne launching a new business and police partnership called Pegasus. Find out more here: Project Pegasus
Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Acquisitive Crime. She said: “Dealing with retail crime requires a multi-faceted approach and through the launch of Pegasus, plus the Retail Crime Action Plan, we have bolstered the policing response to tackling offenders and supporting retailers in reducing shoplifting and attacks on retail staff.
“We welcome the collaboration between retailers, police and crime commissioners and policing through Project Pegasus which centralises intelligence and enhances our ability to identify and tackle the groups involved.
“We continue to target those prolific and habitual offenders whose behaviour causes misery and takes profit from our communities and retailers. Local police forces assess each report through a threat, harm and risk model to determine their police response and will deploy resources where they can be most effective in catching offenders and keeping people safe.”
Click below to download the Retail Crime Action Plan and the template statements which retailers can use when reporting crimes to the police.