BRAINTREE Town centre retailers are trialling a radio information-sharing scheme in an effort to combat shoplifting.
TownLink radio has been operating in George Yard since 2019, allowing businesses to support each other and exchange information instantly.
The shopping centre, working with Essex Police’s Business Crime Team, has extended the scheme for a three-month trial to other businesses in the surrounding town centre.
Insp Phil Jackson, of the Braintree Community Policing Team, said: “TownLink provides vital reassurance to retailers by allowing better information-sharing between businesses, which can only be a good thing.
“The George Yard scheme has already proved a great success, and we are delighted the shopping centre is giving nearby businesses the opportunity to experience the benefits of TownLink, too.”
Mr Jackson continued: “We encourage retailers to report shop thefts, assaults on staff and anti-social behaviour to police in the usual way.
“But TownLink comes into its own when our officers are responding to reports of a crime in progress or security staff have detained an offender.
“Store staff can use the radio to keep us and each other informed of a suspect’s whereabouts, which allows us to arrest them more swiftly and bring them to justice.”
George Yard centre manager Dan Foley said: “Our internal radio scheme allows us to ensure we support each other in providing the safest and best customer service for all our visitors.
“And now, working closely with Essex Police has presented us with a fantastic opportunity to extend the scheme to include the town centre.
“My team and I are looking forward to collaborating with other retailers to continue helping to prevent crime and reduce anti-social behaviour that would otherwise negatively affect us all.”
Essex Police are able to provide owners, managers and staff with guidance on staying safe in the workplace, as well as an understanding of the evidence the police need to identify offenders and build strong court cases against them.
The trail is free of charge to local retailers in Braintree town centre.
If you want to know more, visit Essex Police’s Business Crime Team pages at www.essex.police.uk/businesscrime and click on Contact Business Crime Team.
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