The Co-op has reported a fall in crime at its stores following the rollout of a new system designed to improve the monitoring of persistent offenders. The retail giant revealed that the number of cases resolved has nearly doubled, thanks to a reporting trial conducted in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police.
Repeat Offenders Drive Most Shop Theft
Fresh data published by the Co-op shows that 90% of identified shoplifters are repeat offenders, with just 50 individuals accountable for approximately a quarter of all shop theft offences within the Devon and Cornwall force area. Many of these offenders have more than 100 known offences to their name.
The new system is said to allow for more intelligence sharing, more effective tracking of habitual offenders, stronger cases against prolific criminals and closer working relationships with police.
Faster Reporting and Investigation
Co-op staff are able to upload incident details, CCTV footage, photographs and impact statements, allowing police to log and assign the crime in as little as 30 minutes — a process that could previously take officers up to seven days.
The trial is currently running across all Co-op stores in Devon and Cornwall, with talks already under way to extend the scheme to other police forces.
Positive Results and Next Steps
Paul Gerrard, director of campaigns, public affairs and policy at the Co-op, said: "The reduction in retail crime at Co-op is very welcome, but these are green shoots with crime levels remaining higher than before the pandemic."
"The success of this initiative demonstrates the benefits that we know can be realised when retailers and police work together. We have seen that offenders can be identified and investigations can progress much faster and, importantly for everyone, outcomes improve significantly," he added.
Chris Chaloner, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "The results from this pilot have been extremely impressive. The evidence provided through the platform is available to officers immediately, allowing investigations to progress much more quickly."
"Crucially, this approach helps us to link crimes and identify and target those prolific offenders who are responsible for a disproportionate amount of retail crime," he said. "We know that a relatively small number of individuals commit a large volume of offences. By working closely with retailers, building effective partnerships and receiving high-quality evidence, we can take earlier action, secure more charges and achieve better outcomes for our high streets and communities."
Policing minister Sarah Jones said: "Collaboration between the retail industry, police and government is exactly what I want to see as chair of the retail crime forum. This pilot is a great example of what can be achieved when working together to tackle crime."
"Shop theft is falling across the country and more criminals are being charged. This is good progress, but we will go further, restoring neighbourhood policing, with thousands more officers already in our communities," she said. "We are also changing the law to make it clearer that there will be consequences for shop theft of any value and bringing in a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker."
