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A crime information-sharing system that allows for businesses and others to be aware of criminal activity in their communities is now being used by more than 1500 businesses in the Thames Valley.
Funded by Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Barber, Disc features galleries of offenders and allows people to quickly submit reports of incidents, acting as an alternative to 101 for reporting non-emergency crimes. It also enables communities to manage their business crime reduction schemes efficiently and effectively. A year since its launch, 1563 businesses have signed up and 1758 incidents have now been registered.
“This app has been a key part of my retail crime strategy to make reporting shoplifting and the sharing of information easier for retailers and has been a great success. I encourage businesses to join and to make full use of the app so more criminals can be brought to justice and retail staff can be protected. Maximising member participation is essential for successful crime reduction schemes.”
Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber.
Disc is available, free of charge, to businesses in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes and can be used for retail, night-time economy or Anti-social behaviour (ASB) schemes. The information is shared with Thames Valley Police and supports the use of enforcement action against offenders as well as increasing in shoplifting convictions.
Oliver Fletcher, Thames Valley Business Crime Reduction Partnership Manager, said: “Disc can support retailers through any obstacles, although this is a very user-friendly app, which allows the reporting of shoplifting or ASB to be completed very quickly and for the partnership of businesses, police, and local authorities to happen in real time to address the fact that many of these offenders are part of criminal groups and prolific in certain areas. Some businesses still prefer to ring 101, but this system is tailored to retail and similar crimes, making it much more targeted and efficient.”
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