The Metropolitan Police is expanding new crime-reporting technology across London after it quadrupled the proportion of shoplifting cases resulting in offenders being brought to justice.
The platform allows retailers to submit CCTV footage, witness statements and other evidence directly to police officers, helping them identify suspects and build cases more quickly.
Evidence that previously took as long as 28 days to reach investigators can now be transferred within minutes, according to the Met.
The technology has so far been piloted across Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley.
It is now being rolled out to a further eight boroughs: Southwark, Lambeth, Sutton, Croydon, Bromley, Hillingdon, Ealing and Hounslow. More areas are expected to follow in the coming months.
Tesco, Boots, Marks & Spencer and Greggs are among the major retailers already using the system.
New figures from the Met show that 29.4 per cent of shoplifting incidents reported through the platform resulted in a positive outcome, such as a charge, caution or another criminal disposal.
That compares with the force’s previous average of 7.3 per cent.
Met business crime lead Chief Inspector Rav Pathania said receiving evidence directly from retailers was helping officers identify offenders faster and build stronger cases.
He added that tackling retail crime remained a priority for the force and warned prolific shoplifters that the Met was increasing its ability to catch offenders and bring them before the courts.
Reported shoplifting offences across London fell 3.7 per cent during the last financial year, equivalent to approximately 3,500 fewer incidents than the year before.
Over the same period, retail crime arrests increased by almost 50 per cent, while the number of positive outcomes more than doubled from 2,682 to 5,996.
Boots vice president for London and travel Julie Murphy said the technology, which is available across the retailer’s London stores, enabled employees to report incidents more quickly and helped police and retailers focus their resources on high-harm offenders.
Recent cases generated through the system include that of a prolific offender who was jailed for nine months after stealing more than £4,000 of goods from retailers including Greggs and BP.
Another offender received a 12-month prison sentence after being convicted of 20 shoplifting offences involving £9,000 worth of products taken from Boots and BP stores.
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