Shop Watch scheme aims to tackle retail crime

Published Friday, 20th December 2024

Shops in Hartlepool town centre are being urged to take advantage of a new initiative that aims to tackle shoplifting.

The Shop Watch scheme involves giving premises radios that can be used by staff in the event of an incident.

The radios are being provided to shops free of charge for a year, with the subscription cost being covered by Hartlepool Borough Council.

The Council is paying for the radios with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a pot of money provided by the UK Government and administered locally by Tees Valley Combined Authority. The UKSPF money can only be spent in the town centre area.

Councillor Karen Oliver, Chair of the Council’s Neighbourhood Services Committee, said: “Shoplifting is a major issue and a blight on the town, and I would urge those shops which are eligible for a free radio to take up the offer.

“A number of radios have already been taken up by shops, but I would ask others when contacted to do likewise.”

The radios can be used by shops to alert other nearby premises to a shoplifting incident, and it also provides them with a link to the Council’s CCTV control room.