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A collaborative retail crime reporting initiative between the Co-op Group and Devon & Cornwall Police has nearly doubled the number of solved retail crime cases across regional convenience stores, according to data released from their joint pilot programme.
āUtilising SentrySIS, a specialised digital incident reporting and evidence-sharing platform, the system allows store colleagues to upload incident logs, CCTV footage, still imagery, and witness impact statements directly to police systems. The streamlined data pipeline enables law enforcement to record and allocate crimes in as little as 30 minutes, replacing an administrative evidence-gathering process that previously took up to seven days.
āFollowing the operational success of the pilot, the technology has been rolled out across all Co-op stores in Devon and Cornwall, with talks underway to expand the framework to additional police forces nationwide.
āDigital Evidence Sharing and Accelerated Case Resolution
āThe SentrySIS deployment eliminates the operational requirement for police officers to physically visit store locations to retrieve CCTV footage or obtain formal written statements.
āBy providing immediate digital access to incident evidence, the platform has delivered measurable improvements across investigative turnaround times:
āInvestigation Duration: Slashed the average time required to complete investigations and assign a formal outcome by more than a third, dropping from 54 days down to 35 days.
āCase Allocation Velocity: Reduced evidence transmission and crime logging turnaround times from up to seven days to under 30 minutes.
āRepeat Offender Tracking: Links disparate offences committed by the same individual across different retail sites, allowing police to build cohesive case files against prolific offenders.
ā"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," said Chris Chaloner, Business Crime Sergeant for Devon & Cornwall Police.
ā"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. 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."
āFrontline Feedback and Store-Level Impact
āStore managers report that the accelerated reporting mechanic has restored operational confidence among retail colleagues who previously faced lengthy administrative hurdles when logging store offences.
ā"The system has fundamentally changed the way we report crime," said Alastair Woodburn, a Co-op Store Manager in Exeter whose branch served as an early adopter. "Our store was one of the first to adopt it. Knowing that reporting an incident takes minutes and that the evidence goes straight to officers who can act on it immediately gives our team genuine reassurance."
āThe trial links to Co-op's wider industry collaboration with UK Partners Against Crime, establishing a multi-agency approach to intelligence sharing across commercial shopping parades and high streets.
ā"Collaboration between the retail industry, police and government is exactly what I want to see as Chair of the Retail Crime Forum," commented Policing Minister Sarah Jones. "This pilot is a great example of what can be achieved when working together to tackle crime."
āBroader Retail Crime Trends and Frontline Protection
āThe pilot results arrive as retail businesses across the United Kingdom manage elevated levels of shoplifting, organised gang theft, and frontline staff abuse.
āWhile the Co-op reported that overall crime across its estate has fallen by nearly 20% year-on-year, with incidents of antisocial behaviour and verbal abuse declining by more than a third and physical assaults seeing a double-digit decrease, total crime volumes across the grocery sector remain roughly double pre-pandemic baselines.
ā"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," noted Paul Gerrard, Director of Campaigns, Public Affairs and Policy at Co-op. "The success of this initiative demonstrates the benefits that we know can be realised when retailers and police work together."
āThe cooperative confirmed it will continue to invest in physical store security measures and software integrations while sharing best-practice evidence-handling methodologies with other regional police
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