Crime-fighting app rolled out to night-time economy across Hampshire and Isle of Wight
66 shoplifters across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have been convicted in the last 6 months
A crime-fighting app, supported by Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones, has directly led to the conviction of 66 shoplifters, secured over 45 years of custodial sentences, and saved 787 hours of police time, contributing to a saving of £55,000 in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight over the past six months.
UKPAC (UK Partners Against Crime) was launched in the two counties by PCC Donna Jones in June and is already providing impressive outcomes. Now it is expanding to cover pubs and clubs too, to help with the reporting of incidents and allow sharing of information on barred customers and prolific troublemakers in the local area.
Thefts from retail stores and incidents around pubs and clubs are two big areas impacting police time, especially in the run-up to Christmas.
540 businesses across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have already joined UKPAC – with their first year of membership paid for by funding from PCC Donna Jones, while two of Portsmouth’s PubWatch schemes have already signed up to the night-time utility.
The UKPAC app allows shops and venues to highlight crimes and known offenders to each other and to police. Officers receive case files and linked offender intelligence, saving huge amounts of time which they would otherwise need to complete paperwork.
PCC Donna Jones visited Guildhall Walk in Portsmouth where there is a mix of retail and night-time venues using UKPAC, saying: “This is about tackling shoplifting and making communities safer. It is about getting criminals before the courts and getting them sentenced quickly. We are now seeing a massive increase in people being charged and taken to court and convicted for these offences.
“Thanks to UKPAC, over 66 offenders have been brought to court in the last six months, that has resulted in a total of more than 45 years in prison sentences being handed out.
“Last week, one day after being convicted of multiple shoplifting offences, a criminal was caught shoplifting here at Sainsbury’s Local in Guildhall Walk. They were given a year-long suspended sentence on Tuesday, arrested again by our local policing team in Portsmouth on Wednesday, and returned to court on Thursday where their 52-week sentence was activated and they were sent to prison.
“This is the power of good local policing, working in partnership with UKPAC.
“Over 787 hours of police time have been saved because of what UKPAC have done as our partners in this – that’s a saving of £55,000 for police from doing retail crime paperwork – allowing them to be out on the streets more.
“Our partnership with UKPAC is taking shoplifters off the streets and making our high streets and communities safer.
“Now, following the success of UKPAC in helping police to tackle shoplifting, we’re rolling it out into the night-time economy to help pubs and clubs across our two counties.
“This will help the police and publicans, people working in the night-time economy such as door staff to be able to share information about people who are dealing drugs, carrying knives, fighting and particularly those who go around spiking drinks.
“We want to keep everyone safe in the night-time economy, whether you’re working or going for a night out, so expanding UKPAC into night-time venues like pubs and clubs is a key part of my agenda.”
Chief Inspector Marcus Cator, Force Lead for Business Crime at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: “I am delighted with the progress we have seen from working with UKPAC and their clients.
“Currently there are more than 500 businesses signed up, with over 1500 users on the system. Together they are sharing information with UKPAC, by using the app or desktop UKPAC system. Stores can share information and reports quickly with police, reducing the amount of officer time taken to secure evidence. This has released more than £55,000 in resourcing, saving almost 800 hours of police time, allowing us to patrol and engage with more visibility.
“Working with UKPAC, we have secured more than 45 years in sentencing, with six offenders receiving over 12 months sentencing for their criminal behaviour. We have been able to secure multiple Criminal Behaviour Orders, on numerous offenders, empowering local police to ensure that those who have been responsible for repeatedly victimising retail workers can be managed more robustly in the future.
“Identifying the need to support our night-time economy and sharing information to help better protect women and girls against violence in our pubs and clubs, is another important step forwards.
“Our licensing officers have worked closely with UKPAC to develop an online PubWatch platform, enabling publicans and staff to share information safely and securely about people whose behaviour is not acceptable or is violent within night-time premises.
“This gives them the information to help make decisions on refusing entry or to alert each other or the police about people causing risks of violence.
“It all helps to make these premises safer for their customers and staff.”