Shop Watch: Geraldton police work with 40 retailers to curb shoplifting and share information one month on

The real-time information-sharing platform to reduce opportunistic theft in Geraldton is well off the ground, with just under 40 retailers participating in the retail group chat, according to the officer-in-charge. The Shop Watch scheme is in progress, helping increase communication across retailers, provide police with daily updates and help to expose thieves early. Geraldton police launched the initiative last month to combat shoplifting, following a Geraldton business banning unsupervised youth at night following a surge in theft. Engagement and Support unit OIC Senior Sergeant Russel Hurst said the aim was to get to a stage where the reporting process was fluid, came easy to retailers and helped police identify and apprehend suspects of theft. “It’s been really good, we’ve had reports of suspicious behaviour and those images and the context of those messages are going out there, people are getting more aware of the communication tool and they’re using it to share information quickly,” he said. “We’ve provided reporting packs that include all the information we need, all the information they need to have prepared for us to conduct their investigation, prosecute offenders and allow that quick download of information so we can go out and identify the offenders.” Sen. Sgt Hurst said shop owners were positive and on the same page which was to see a reduction in crime. “Everyone wants the process of reporting to be much easier, more streamlined and less cumbersome on them,” he said. Geraldton police are continuing their heightened presence across shopping centres, general officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Chris Martin said since the patrols, police have “caught people red-handed every single shift” and had been a great initiative so far. “Those out there who continue to try and steal from shops, you’re going to get caught. You’re on CCTV, we’ve got facial recognition, we know which car you’re driving, we’re going to catch up with you eventually,” he said.