Gloucester Shopwatch has been hailed a success by retailers
Wednesday October 7, 2009
Gloucester Shopwatch was launched in October 2008 to target shoplifting in city centre stores; a year on and the scheme has been hailed a success by retailers.
The Gloucester Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) introduced Shopwatch to make Gloucester a safer and friendlier environment for everyone by tackling shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
If an offender is caught shoplifting or behaving in an anti-social way in one of the participating shops in the city then they will be banned, not only from that shop but also from all of the participating stores.
There are now 164 members joined up to Gloucester Shopwatch including stores at the newly opened Gloucester Quays complex.
The number of offenders banned from Gloucester’s shops as a result of the scheme reached 60 in September.
Shopwatch provides retailers with access to a secure website containing images of those offenders which are banned.
This allows members of Shopwatch to share all of their information with other members and with the police.
PC Mark Evans, from the Gloucester City Safer Community Team, said: “Shopwatch is an excellent example of partnership working.
“The police have been working very closely with retailers to share information on offenders.
“Earlier this year, Shopwatch was used as an example of a successful crime prevention scheme on a BBC website to demonstrate how police forces are dealing with crime.
“Police in Gloucester will continue to work with retailers to expand and develop the scheme.”
Retailers have welcomed the scheme as it has deterred potential offenders and banned known offenders from entering their shops.
The manager of Gifts Direct in Kingswalk, Caroline Hadley, said: "The shopwatch scheme has been very beneficial to my shop. Since the scheme started, we have felt safer and have had less issues with repeat shoplifters causing problems within the shop.”
Marc Duncan, the new chairperson for shopwatch and also security at Wilkinsons, said: “I have been involved with the scheme since the launch in 2008 and in the last year I have seen a significant reduction in the amount of offences committed within my store.
“Offenders who are banned as part of shopwatch are less likely to commit offences in the shop displaying the shopwatch logo. This helps assist stores with reducing crime within the City."