Mitie extends security partnership with Co-op for five years

The contract was originally awarded to Mitie back in 2018, with the extension now taking the arrangement to 2030 and actively supporting the Co-op in fostering safer communities.

The new contract will see Mitie continue to play a vital role in protecting Co-op’s colleagues, customers and estate, ensuring that stores offer a safe and welcoming environment for all.

The contract employs hundreds of security officers who are equipped with body-worn cameras, thereby enabling cutting-edge two-way communication with dedicated Security Control Centres. These are located at Mitie’s Intelligence Security Operations Centres in Northampton and Northern Ireland, where interactive surveillance feeds, fire and intruder alarms and Co-op’s body-worn cameras are live-monitored and managed on a 24-7 basis.

Mitie also provides covert security officers who are specially trained to detain criminals and support Co-op with its pioneering work involving local police through partnerships which are in place across the UK. These measures are contributing to a reduction in overall retail crime in Co-op stores UK-wide, including lower levels of anti-social behaviour and abuse towards store workers.

Mitie’s technology-led approach enables rapid response to store incidents and supports police forces in their work to tackle retail crime by monitoring crime trends and creating case files, which can then be shared with the police to support the conviction of organised crime groups and prolific offenders. This work also further strengthens contributions to community safety, making a tangible difference to the impact of crime in communities across the UK.

As part of the extended contract, Mitie has also created a new team whose members will be deployed to stores identified as having localised and persistent crime. These elite response officers will work with Co-op store managers in order to provide focused guidance and support and ensure safer and enjoyable environments in which to work and shop.

Creating safer communities

Jason Towse, managing director of the Business Services division at Mitie, said: “Extending our existing partnership with the Co-op is about security, but it’s also about creating safer communities. Supporting Co-op's significant footprint of stores across the country, our elite teams and experienced officers, backed by intelligence, are making stores safer for millions of people every day.”

Towse continued: “This partnership is also testament to the power of collaboration in tackling retail crime. We are very much working together on this. By combining front line expertise with smart technology, and ensuring close co-operation with the police, we’re able to identify potential threats quickly and ensure the right resources are in place. That makes a real difference where it matters most.”

Sally Hinchliffe, security manager at the Co-op, explained: “Co-op is dedicated to protecting our colleagues, reducing crime in our stores, backing British High Streets and communities and creating a safe and enjoyable shopping experience for all. Our successful partnership with Mitie plays a vital role in our approach towards safety and security. While we’ve seen a welcome reduction in retail crime, there remains more work to be done. That being so, we’re delighted to extend our industry leading partnership with Mitie.”

The contract extension builds on Mitie’s presence throughout the UK, enabling safer communities for colleagues, customers and the wider public. Mitie works with the UK’s biggest retailers to help reduce the impact of crime across the nation, with over 27,000 Mitie security officers protecting some of Britain’s biggest organisations, most iconic landmarks, retail stores and Critical National Infrastructure.

Mitie’s security officers, combined with real-time intelligence from dedicated Intelligence Security Operations Centres, help to prevent incidents before they happen and ensure that retail stores remain safe spaces for those neighbourhoods they diligently serve.