Brian Sims
Editor
Brian Sims
Editor
THE CO-OP has become the first major supermarket to see security officers on duty being equipped with a new forensic spray designed to deter attacks on front line shopworkers and curb rising levels of violent crime.
The move comes against a backdrop of rising levels of crime against shop workers and will see Mitie’s contracted security officers being specially trained in the use of the handheld spray which contains a unique SmartWater forensic signature. Trials conducted in South Yorkshire have already shown the SmartTag solution calming potentially violent incidents and actively preventing them from escalating.
The technology will be used by Mitie security officers in around 400 stores, with its application possible in different locations based on the latest local crime intelligence. Security officers are able to spray violent offenders with the SmartWater solution which provides evidence for the police to act on at a later juncture.
Detective Superintendent Lee Berry, who launched a pilot exercise with security officers, said: “Our aim was to create a deterrent for door staff to diffuse violent incidents before they escalated. Over 100 canisters were deployed across the county following a successful trial in Sheffield. We received great feedback from security staff who said they had diffused situations by warning those involved that they would be forensically marked.”
Root causes of crime
Andrew Needham, the Co-op’s head of retail loss prevention and security, stated: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our colleagues who work tirelessly to serve local communities. No-one should have to face violence just for doing their job, and we’re doing everything we can to protect shop workers on the front line.”
He continued: “As a community retailer, we see the impact of social issues in our stores. The root causes of crime in communities must be addressed. That’s why we’re calling for Government to introduce greater protection for shop workers with stiffer penalties for those convicted to send out a clear message that violence, abuse and anti-social behaviour is not acceptable.”
Jason Towse, managing director of business services at Mitie, explained: “Ensuring the safety of everyone in store has always been our priority, even more so in the context of COVID-19. We continue to invest in new technology such as SmartTag that can act as a deterrent and support the police in their investigations, helping to keep our officers, shop workers and local communities safe.”
Bespoke training
As mentioned previously, before security officers are equipped with SmartTag, they must participate in a special training course. On that subject, Gary Higgins (COO of SmartWater Technology) said: “We have sought the advice of both the police and top legal teams, creating a training module that ensures the staff know the correct way in which to use SmartTag. The solution has proven to be a powerful deterrent in South Yorkshire, and we’re delighted that the Co-op has taken the opportunity to be the first supermarket to deploy the technology.”
SmartWater is the only forensic product of its type that’s compliant with the requirements of the Government’s Forensic Science Regulator and, unlike non-compliant products, is admissible as evidence in a Court of Law.
This year will also see Co-op more than double the number of its stores where colleagues wear body-worn cameras. Over 550 stores are expected to use the technology which can send real-time audio and visual footage to Mitie’s Security Operations Centre at the push of a button.
