Retailers Against Crime highlights effectiveness of SentrySIS platform
BUSINESS owners in Stirling have been urged to sign up to an innovative crime-fighting tool by Retailers Against Crime (RAC) and Go Forth Stirling BID.
Retailers from across the city were invited to an intelligence briefing hosted by RAC and Go Forth Stirling where crime prevention experts emphasised the importance of partnership and the sharing of information to enhance community safety and combat crime.
They were introduced to the work of RAC and the not-for-profit organisation’s SentrySIS device which allows users to view real-time information and alerts about theft and other crimes happening in the city. This also follows on from the RAC’s recent briefing in Aberdeen.
Fiona McMilan, Go Forth Stirling community engagement and business improvement officer, said: “Our partnership with RAC allows us to make the SentrySIS tool available to all our businesses and it’s all about investing in the city and into community safety to help make Stirling a better place to live, work and visit.
“It’s so important that businesses report what’s happening to them and, through sharing intelligence and making the consequences more serious for repeat offenders, we can send a message that Stirling is not a place which is open for crime.”
The briefing marked the first of three meetings being hosted by RAC and Go Forth Stirling to support business owners and help overcome the challenges they face due to the ongoing rise in retail crime.
During the briefing, Stephanie Karté, national operations manager at RAC, told the briefing how incidents of violent crime are rising annually, with 1674 reported to the organisation during 2024 while overall losses to their retailer members have risen by 26%, totalling £1.85million, over the course of the past year.
Karté also demonstrated how retailers can use the SentrySIS tool on either a desktop computer or phone app to find out which criminals are currently active in the Stirling area, along with photographs and information about them.
Karté said: “With SentrySIS, we have a real-time alerts system and we are trying to bring the business community together to forewarn each other and prevent or, try to prevent, the problem of retail crime.
“If an offender is in the city targeting one store, it’s likely they will be round every store in the area to try and get what they can.
“So, the more retailers who use the system to report crime, the more effective we can be, and the more businesses can be forewarned about potential offenders in the area.
“The system also enables us to gather evidence and reports together and provide information to give to the police or take forward.”
The meeting was also attended by two Police Scotland officers and representatives from Stirling Council, and also heard from local retailers and taxi operators about the problems they are facing with theft and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
The next intelligence briefing takes place on Tuesday 16 September at 9:30am at the Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling which promises to showcase the latest tricks and techniques used by shoplifters to evade security systems and show footage that will demonstrate how crime gangs work in teams to steal goods.
Karté said: “These meetings are an essential opportunity for local businesses to stay informed, connected and better equipped to tackle retail crime.
“They are key to strengthening local partnerships, enhancing prevention strategies and creating a safer trading environment in Stirling.
“And they are about more than just sharing information – they’re about building a united front against crime. By working together, sharing intelligence and utilising crime prevention tools like SentrySIS effectively, we can make a real difference in reducing retail crime and protecting our communities.”
