London retailers and law enforcement are embracing a new digital and collaborative approach to crack down on violent and organised retail crime by using Auror’s retail crime intelligence reporting platform.
The platform allows police to securely receive crime reports and evidence directly from UK retailers, including some of the largest store networks nationwide. Retailers use the platform to record crime in a structured way, helping them to identify repeat and organised offenders across their store networks. This allows both retailers and police to focus their resources on the highest harm offenders, and build stronger cases with high quality evidence.
The platform has been piloted by law enforcement in central London and Lewisham since January. Since the rollout, outcomes resulting in an arrest, charge or conviction have increased by over 50% as compared to other forms of reporting - including 482 charges laid.
Retailers across the country are using Auror to efficiently connect with law enforcement and surface key trends on organised and violent crime. Data shows the top 10% of offenders are responsible for almost 70% of retail crime across the country, and one in every seven events involve violence or the use of weapons.
Auror VP Trust & Safety and Global Law Enforcement Partnerships Nick McDonnell said it’s fantastic to see retailers and police take a networked, collaborative approach to tackle volume crime across London.
“We all have a responsibility for public safety and we need to support police to be as effective as possible by providing timely, actionable and secure information when it counts the most,” he said.
“Retail crime is not just shoplifting - it’s violent, brazen and organised - and it’s great to see UK’s largest retailers and police use Auror to surface the prolific repeat offenders causing the most harm to our high streets.
“Digital collaboration makes police more efficient and helps them get back on the beat sooner; cutting down time spent collecting physical evidence and trawling through hours of CCTV - increasing positive outcome rates without increasing workload.”
Recently, an organised crime member was arrested in London - their offending was linked to 80 events across 17 different jurisdictions at just one retailer alone. Meanwhile, investigations across the country have dismantled an organised crime ring linked to £600,000, and another connected to £270,000.
UK police forces are leaning into the use of Auror to deal with high volume retail crime. Devon & Cornwall Police reported processing retail crime reports around 47 hours faster on average, while the Opal policing unit is connecting with major retailers through the platform to target top high harm offenders and disrupt sophisticated organised crime groups.
Retailers are also using their intelligence to make stores safer, with Marks & Spencer reporting a 40 per cent reduction in violence and aggression, while another national retailer has reduced violent behaviour in stores by 26 per cent.
Overseas, law enforcement in Australia are using Auror to drive dedicated retail crime operations, notably dismantling two $10 million organised crime rings linked to stolen baby formula and health and beauty products, in recent months. In New Zealand, a report into law enforcement efficiency using Auror showed that across 12 months, the platform helped deliver NZD$92m in workforce efficiency gains; the equivalent of adding 450 additional officers to the force every year.
About Auror
Auror is a global software company providing a Retail Crime Intelligence platform to the world’s leading retailers to record potential crime in their stores after it occurs, better collaborate with law enforcement on crime, and create safer stores for all.
Auror allows retailers to record events in a secure and structured way, helping them connect the dots to identify prolific and organised offenders. This information empowers retailers to make informed decisions to protect their people, customers, and property, and address the large scale of retail crime impacting our communities.
Globally, Auror is used by more than 85,000 retail stores and in more than 3,500 law enforcement agencies across North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
