Data-sharing app helps Wakefield shops crack down on theft

Businesses in Wakefield are hopeful a new phone app will help tackle retail crime in the city.

The app, launched by Safer Wakefield and backed by West Yorkshire Police, Wakefield Council and Wakefield BID, will allow businesses to report crimes in real time.

Wakefield BID said the app would allow stores to identify patterns and regular offenders.

Katy Medley, who runs second-hand store My Eco Baby, said she hoped the app would see incidents dealt with “a lot quicker” and help staff feel “a lot safer”.

Ms Medley said her charity store was a regular target for shoplifters.

She told the BBC: “We have a lot of crime that comes to our shop.

“We’ve been targeted quite a few times, people taking things off hangers and just walking out.

“A few weeks ago we had someone coming in and just pushing a push chair out that they hadn’t paid for.”

Ms Medley said other incidents – such as people caught putting items up their jumpers – could be more intimidating.

She said: “As soon as they are caught and we ask them to put it down, that’s when they get aggressive with us.

“We’re quite a female environment here so to have someone aggressive is quite frightening.”

Ms Medley praised the “brilliant” app, saying: “I think by us all being able to talk together and share information as soon as we see a person coming in who we know is banned, it’s going to get stopped straight away.

“So there is less chance of someone taking the stock away.”

Thomas Wales from Wakefield BID said the app would allow businesses to “paint a picture” of the types of crimes happening.

He said: “So if it happens over and over again in different businesses we can say this offender has caused hundreds of pounds’ worth of theft and give that evidence to the police.

“For example over a period of time they might have stolen £1,000 worth of things -£10 here, £10 there – police might not deal with that but it all adds up.

“We can gather evidence and intelligence and remove people from the city, ban people from the city and proceed with criminal proceedings.”

Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: “I’m speaking to local businesses, the council, police and wider community on how we can tackle crime and anti-social behaviour head on through real-time communication and intelligence-sharing.

“By working together on retail crime and utilising latest technologies like the new app, we can improve reporting and ensure swift action is taken.”