Shannon W Unit 12: Crime and its effects on society D2
Local Initiatives
My chosen local initiative to talk about is ‘Shopwatch.’ Shopwatch is a scheme or a network of
businesses where retailers form partnerships in order to catch shop thieves; it is in some ways very
similar to the ‘Pubwatch’ scheme, also known as ‘STAND’ which is put in place hoping to achieve a
safer drinking environment in all licensed premises throughout the UK. The Shopwatch organisation
works closely with the local authorities, such as the police and PCSO’s, and their main aim is to
reduce retail crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as aiming to make shopping areas safer for
both customers and staff. All of the shops in an area who are signed up to Shopwatch are linked by a
radio, which they can send and receive messages to each other, as well as the police. This scheme is
supported by the police and local authority however; they do not run it. Retail premises which are
signed up to shop watch advertise this using signs, posters and window stickers to ensure their
customers know that they are shopping in a retail premises that operates a Shopwatch scheme.
Shopwatch enables offenders or people who are suspects of a crime to be spotted before they are
able to commit a crime or to catch them in the act to alert other shops in the area. In some areas,
Police officers and PCSO’s carry a Shopwatch radio which allows them to be alerted of any suspicious
activity in nearby shops so they can go and solve the issue.
Shopwatch is used by shops in many towns and cities across the UK. There are various positives for
shops using Shopwatch. For example; it is extremely cheap to sign up to and not only can it benefit
just the one shop, but the rest of them that are signed up to it as well. It is also a very quick way for
shops to inform each other and pass on any information about suspicious activity or a crime that has
been committed with details of the offender(s). I personally think that the Shopwatch scheme is
most effective when combined with CCTV so the control room staff can be alerted via the radio
provided, so they can ensure that the cameras are directed in a certain area (possibly where the
crime is being committed), this will then lead to a more effective prosecution of the offender.
However, there are also some downsides to Shopwatch because it doesn’t always work as intended.
First of all, to get the most out of this scheme, employees are encouraged to attended weekly
meetings (which don’t always take place) It doesn’t always help catch the right suspect because the
description they give over the radio may fit someone else’s description. A more extreme example of
how Shopwatch doesn’t work is in the case of an armed robbery because it would be far too
dangerous for an employee to get to the radio to alert the police and there is a potential of someone
being harmed. A final disadvantage of Shopwatch is that some of the new staff may feel like they
haven’t had enough training in order to use the radios properly which wouldn’t be any good in a
situation which requires them to use one urgently.
Overall, I think Shopwatch has turned out to be quite successful and effective against reducing the
amount of retail crime across the UK. Back in the year of 2013, the Shopwatch scheme was a huge
success in Woodley according to an article from’getreading.co.uk’ and therefore was copied in Earley
later that same year. The article claimed that the police had arrested five alleged shoplifters in the
town centre since April (in 2013.) As a result of the success rate, police officers in Earley were
inspired and copied the Shopwatch scheme. Someone on the article had also quoted that ‘all the
arrests from shoplifting were due to what was highlighted on the radio.’ This is just one of the
examples of how the Shopwatch scheme has been a success. It is very cheap for the retailers to set
up and can be very useful in the long term. It is also a very quick way for the shops to communicate
Local Initiatives
My chosen local initiative to talk about is ‘Shopwatch.’ Shopwatch is a scheme or a network of
businesses where retailers form partnerships in order to catch shop thieves; it is in some ways very
similar to the ‘Pubwatch’ scheme, also known as ‘STAND’ which is put in place hoping to achieve a
safer drinking environment in all licensed premises throughout the UK. The Shopwatch organisation
works closely with the local authorities, such as the police and PCSO’s, and their main aim is to
reduce retail crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as aiming to make shopping areas safer for
both customers and staff. All of the shops in an area who are signed up to Shopwatch are linked by a
radio, which they can send and receive messages to each other, as well as the police. This scheme is
supported by the police and local authority however; they do not run it. Retail premises which are
signed up to shop watch advertise this using signs, posters and window stickers to ensure their
customers know that they are shopping in a retail premises that operates a Shopwatch scheme.
Shopwatch enables offenders or people who are suspects of a crime to be spotted before they are
able to commit a crime or to catch them in the act to alert other shops in the area. In some areas,
Police officers and PCSO’s carry a Shopwatch radio which allows them to be alerted of any suspicious
activity in nearby shops so they can go and solve the issue.
Shopwatch is used by shops in many towns and cities across the UK. There are various positives for
shops using Shopwatch. For example; it is extremely cheap to sign up to and not only can it benefit
just the one shop, but the rest of them that are signed up to it as well. It is also a very quick way for
shops to inform each other and pass on any information about suspicious activity or a crime that has
been committed with details of the offender(s). I personally think that the Shopwatch scheme is
most effective when combined with CCTV so the control room staff can be alerted via the radio
provided, so they can ensure that the cameras are directed in a certain area (possibly where the
crime is being committed), this will then lead to a more effective prosecution of the offender.
However, there are also some downsides to Shopwatch because it doesn’t always work as intended.
First of all, to get the most out of this scheme, employees are encouraged to attended weekly
meetings (which don’t always take place) It doesn’t always help catch the right suspect because the
description they give over the radio may fit someone else’s description. A more extreme example of
how Shopwatch doesn’t work is in the case of an armed robbery because it would be far too
dangerous for an employee to get to the radio to alert the police and there is a potential of someone
being harmed. A final disadvantage of Shopwatch is that some of the new staff may feel like they
haven’t had enough training in order to use the radios properly which wouldn’t be any good in a
situation which requires them to use one urgently.
Overall, I think Shopwatch has turned out to be quite successful and effective against reducing the
amount of retail crime across the UK. Back in the year of 2013, the Shopwatch scheme was a huge
success in Woodley according to an article from’getreading.co.uk’ and therefore was copied in Earley
later that same year. The article claimed that the police had arrested five alleged shoplifters in the
town centre since April (in 2013.) As a result of the success rate, police officers in Earley were
inspired and copied the Shopwatch scheme. Someone on the article had also quoted that ‘all the
arrests from shoplifting were due to what was highlighted on the radio.’ This is just one of the
examples of how the Shopwatch scheme has been a success. It is very cheap for the retailers to set
up and can be very useful in the long term. It is also a very quick way for the shops to communicate
