Mitie and University of Cambridge join forces to fight retail crime

The innovative research will focus on how businesses can leverage technology, such as remotely monitored CCTV and real-time security alerts for shop workers, in combination with security officers on the ground in order to reduce retail crime. The initiative is the first of its kind in the UK and demonstrates Mitie’s commitment to work with public and private sector organisations alike in a bid to help keep the nation safe.

The partnership will see Mitie provide University of Cambridge criminologists with access to anonymous crime data – such as details on thefts and incidents of violence against shop workers – on behalf of national retail customers, sharing information from its stores across the UK.

In practice, the research team will use this information, alongside data on the number of security officers and technology solutions available at each store, to test if a change in the blend of on-site security officers and technology can help reduce crime. Data, including thefts and incidents of violence, will be recorded following each change to determine whether or not there’s a correlation between that and the number of crimes.

The research will also analyse the impact of these different combinations of security solutions with other factors, such as the time of day or store location. For example, this can include increasing the number of security officers in stores at times of the day when thefts are more likely or installing more CCTV cameras at sites with lower footfall. The University of Cambridge’s team of researchers will then analyse all of this data to identify trends and new opportunities for Mitie to improve its support for customers.

University of Cambridge criminologists will publish the results to create the first evidence-based approach to retail crime. This will then be available to police services and other organisations in the retail and security industries. While the research will initially focus on one specific supermarket chain, over time it’s envisaged that more of Mitie’s national retail customers will be invited to participate in the initiative.

Data-driven approach

Jason Towse, managing director of business services at Mitie, explained: “Once again we’re leading the industry with a unique security partnership to help fight crime across the UK. We’re very proud to be working with the University of Cambridge, which has one of the world’s leading institutes in criminology, to develop this data-driven approach that will help us to stay one step ahead of the criminals targeting High Streets. With retail crime and violence against shop workers on the rise, this research will be key to keeping our customers, people and communities safe.”  

Dr Matthew Bland, lecturer in evidence-based policing at the University of Cambridge, added: “The Institute of Criminology has a long-established history of working with crime fighting organisations all over the world to develop the evidence about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to reducing harm. We’re excited to be able to continue this work by testing innovations in retail security and look forward to sharing our findings with the wider evidence-based policing community in due course.”

The partnership will be underpinned by Mitie’s Global Security Operations Centre service – ie the company’s technology and intelligence-led security solution – and is part of Mitie’s efforts to work with public and private sector organisations alike to help fight crime across the UK.

For example, Mitie has partnered with independent charity Crimestoppers to share information on criminal behaviour gathered by businesses to support police investigations. As part of the initiative, Mitie and Crimestoppers have launched a report highlighting the key factors and trends driving retail crime and inviting individuals to anonymously share any information on criminal activity in retail stores.

Founded by Sir Leon Radzinowicz in 1959, the Institute of Criminology was one of the first criminological institutes in Europe and has exerted a strong influence on the development of the discipline. Many of its academic staff are international leaders in their fields. Staff hail from multidisciplinary international backgrounds and their interests cover a broad range of topics. In recognition of their outstanding research, Cambridge criminologists have been awarded numerous prestigious international awards.