Police pledges to reduce retail crime in Bucks
Thames Valley Police is teaming up with businesses in High Wycombe to tackle shoplifting.
As part of a wider scheme, Thames Valley Police is hoping to reduce retail crime by teaming up with local businesses.
A system called Disc, already in place in High Wycombe, enables shops to share information and CCTV amongst themselves and with police.
Members of High Wycombe Business Improvement District and Thames Valley Police Neighbourhood Officers walked around the town centre with the Police and Crime Commissioner hoping to convince more businesses to sign up.
The aim is to share intelligence, report thefts and incriminate offenders, as well as prevent future crime.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, said: "We don't always see the increase in the number of reports to the police."
"Sometimes people think it's not worth it or the police won't respond, and we get into a vicious circle people don't report so the police don't know about the crime."
As a result, offenders go without being prosecuted for their crime, with businesses losing out.
Amongst items most commonly stolen are expensive jackets, or meat, which is then sold on illegally.
Shops in High Wycombe already using the Disc system have provided positive feedback, increasing confidence in the success of the system.
Mr Barber said: "We can make that available free of charge so all retailers across Thames Valley can share intelligence and get their reports in as quickly as possible to police."
The scheme is also aimed at rebuilding confidence between businesses and the police.
"I'm conscious that a lot of retailers feel they haven't had the support they want from the police in recent years", said Mr Barber.
To address this concern, he announced a 50% increase in the number of officers in neighbourhood teams.
Thames Valley Police is hoping to unroll the scheme in the whole of Buckinghamshire, as well as the surrounding counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire.