More than 200 businesses sign up to Shopwatch relaunch

Horsham’s Shopwatch scheme has been relaunched, with more than 200 shops joining in.
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Police

A Shopwatch allows police and businesses to share information about known or suspected shoplifters.

It is now being developed to include stores across the whole district.

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The new Shopwatch has been set up by Horsham Neighbourhood Policing Team, together with Horsham District Council and the local Community Safety Partnership, which is hosting the scheme on its website.

The site’s Shopwatch area has a secure section which is only accessible to scheme members and includes pictures of current known offenders.

Members can view this and then choose whether to ban those people from their store or just be aware that they have a record of causing problems.

PC James Munden said: “Shopwatch improves information sharing between police and retail staff, allowing thieves and persistent trouble-makers to be more quickly identified and dealt with.”

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The website also has a section for Pubwatch scheme members to log in where they can view a list of banned people.

A new town radio scheme is also in place for both the Shopwatch and Pubwatch schemes. PC Munden added: “It is a really good system for members to speak with each other so that they can pass on warnings of any suspicious people that they have seen in town or if they have seen anyone on the shopwatch list. This will help to spread the word around the town of any suspicious people.”

“We are really pleased that the new radio scheme is also up and running but we need more members and are keen to encourage current members to make more use of their radios.”

The new Community Safety Partnership website also has useful areas for members of the public to view, including safer season’s advice and information about the local partnership’s priorities. The website has been designed so that it is now viewable on smart phones too.

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If you are a shop or retailer and would like any further information on how to join Shopwatch, or if you wish to purchase a radio, please contact Horsham Neighbourhood Policing Team town officers by emailing [email protected]

Shopwatch and Pubwatch information along with other useful advice can be found at: www.horshamcsp.org

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