Shoplifters are being warned if they operate in Darlington they will be caught thanks to the new initiative launched to help shops protect themselves from criminals in the town.
Businesses now have the UK’s most innovative crime monitoring and reporting software that enables them to share information and intelligence about offenders and people carrying out anti-social behaviour.
The SentrySIS platform has been introduced to the town thanks to a partnership with the NERC, a police constabulary in the North East and Darlington Business Against Crime (DBAC).
A Sergeant from the constabulary commented and said: "This crime-fighting software should act as a warning to all shoplifters in Darlington that the net is closing and you will be caught. It provides retailers and the police with data about hotspot times for shoplifting and frequently stolen items so that the partnership can adopt a problem-solving approach to further reduce retail crime.”
SentrySIS also gives retailers an alternative way of reporting crime and the option of uploading witness statements and CCTV evidence directly to police.
The temporary Assistant Chief Constable at the time, said: "Effective partnership working is key in tackling crime. The addition of SentrySIS to the area will make it more difficult for criminals to operate freely in Darlington and provides a safer environment for both shoppers and shop staff."
Steven Hughes, DBAC chairman, said: "Our members are delighted to be able to use this software. SentrySIS will help create a digital network between our members to help us share details of the individuals who are harming our businesses the most. We are confident this will strengthen our existing partnerships in Darlington so we can work even more collaboratively to reduce retail crime."
The software is already reaping benefits with an arrest after police circulated details of a wanted man to all retailers on SentrySIS which proves it works from day one.