New initiative to combat retail crime in Buckinghamshire

Thames Valley Police, in collaboration with Aylesbury Town Council, is pleased to announce the launch of the Thames Valley Business Crime Reduction Partnership in Buckinghamshire. This initiative aims to tackle shoplifting and retail crime across the county through the introduction of Aylesbury ShopWatch and the implementation of crime tracking software known as Disc.

Disc is an online information-sharing system designed to help communities reduce low-level crime and anti-social behaviour. Aylesbury Town Council has supported Thames Valley Police by engaging with local businesses to sign up for the free-to-use Disc scheme.

The rollout of Disc will streamline crime reporting and enhance information sharing between retailers and officers. This will not only boost the security and confidence of local businesses but also enable a more targeted and effective policing response.

As Disc continues its rollout, ongoing engagement with retailers will explore ways to further strengthen collaboration between businesses and law enforcement in addressing retail crime. The summer launch of ShopWatch marks a significant step in this direction.

Key features of Disc include:

• Access to galleries of known offenders
• Submission of incident reports and new offender reports
• Direct crime reporting, bypassing the 101 service for quicker, retail-specific responses
• Instant messaging and email alerts for urgent and important updates
• Access to alerts, important news, and information about upcoming events
• Automated weekly e-newsletter summarizing updates on the Disc system

Disc is already in use in more than 500 locations across the country, including 18 active sites within the Thames Valley area, all of which have reported significant benefits. The Aylesbury ShopWatch scheme will integrate with other Disc systems in Buckinghamshire, facilitating information sharing and offender identification.

Aylesbury Town Council, alongside local businesses, proudly supports this initiative.

Cllr Richard Lloyd, Leader of Aylesbury Town Council, said: “Aylesbury Town Council is delighted to support the Disc scheme, which represents a significant step forward in improving safety and communication within our local business community. This partnership will provide retailers with the tools they need to protect their businesses more effectively, while also strengthening the ties between the Town Council, local businesses, and Thames Valley Police. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this initiative will have on our town.”

Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “I welcome today’s announcement of the Aylesbury ShopWatch Disc scheme, providing retailers in the area with access to a free online crime recording system. I made the commitment to make Disc available to retailers across the Thames Valley earlier this year as part of my Retail Crime Strategy and I’m delighted the platform has now been rolled out to businesses in Aylesbury and the surrounding area.

“Through my recently launched Police and Crime Plan, Thames Valley Police will continue to prioritise retail crime and anti-social behaviour. Disc will help support these efforts by improving reporting and enhancing the collaboration between businesses and the police. By working together we can tackle retail crime and build confidence amongst businesses, staff and the public across Thames Valley.”

All businesses are invited to sign up for free. Access to Disc is available through both a dedicated app and a web browser. If your business would like to join the Aylesbury ShopWatch Disc scheme, please email Gill Robson at [email protected] with the following information for each staff member to receive a membership link:

• Company name
• Contact name
• Email address