Businesses in Stirling urged to sign up to crime-fighting tool
Stirling retailers are being encouraged to sign up to a crime-fighting tool which features real-time alerts about offenders in a bid to tackle shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
Business owners were invited to an intelligence briefing, hosted by Go Forth Stirling BID and Retailers Against Crime (RAC), where crime prevention experts emphasised the importance of partnership working and information sharing to enhance community vigilance and combat crime.
They were introduced to the work of RAC and the not-for-profit organisation's SentrySIS device which allows users to view real-time information and alerts about thefts and other crimes happening in the city.
Go Forth covers the cost of RAC membership for all BID (Business Improvement District) levy-paying members giving them access to the SentrySIS (Secure Intelligence System) platform to report crime, receive alerts about criminal activity and create evidence logs to help police detect offences.
Go Forth Stirling Community Engagement and Business Improvement Officer Fiona McMillan urged more businesses to sign up for membership and help tackle the ongoing problem of retail crime.
She said: 'Our partnership with RAC allows us to make the SentrySIS tool available to all our businesses and it's all about investing in the city and into community safety to help make Stirling a better place to live, work and visit.
'It's so important that businesses report what's happening to them and, through sharing intelligence and making the consequences more serious for repeat offenders, we can send a message that Stirling is not a place which is open for crime.'
The briefing was the first of three meetings being hosted by RAC and the BID at the Golden Lion Hotel to support business owners and the challenges they face due to the ongoing rise in retail crime.
Stephanie Karté, National Operations Manager at RAC, told the briefing how incidents of violent crime are rising annually with 1674 reported to the organisation during 2024 while overall losses to their retailer members have risen by 26%, totalling £1.85 million, in the past year.
She demonstrated how retailers can use the SentrySIS tool – on a desktop or as a phone app - to find out which criminals are currently active in the Stirling area along with photographs and information about them; be alerted to the latest crime incidents and access a database with details on more than 16,000 offenders.
And she highlighted major successes the system has had across Scotland where police officers have been able to identify crime patterns, link crime reports and apprehend criminals responsible for a series of offences due to retailers using SentrySIS to report crime.
She said: 'With SentrySIS, we have a real-time alerts system and we are trying to bring the business community together to forewarn each other and prevent or, try to prevent, the problem of retail crime.
'If an offender is in the city targeting one store, it's likely they will be round every store in the area to try and get what they can. So, the more retailers who use the system to report crime, the more effective we can be, and the more businesses can be forewarned about potential offenders in the area.
'The system also enables us to gather evidence and reports together and provide information to give to the police to take forward.'
The meeting, which was attended by two Police Scotland officers and representatives from Stirling Council, also heard from local retailers and taxi operators about the problems they are facing with theft and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
The next intelligence briefing takes place on Tuesday September 16 at 9.30am when Intelligence Co-ordinator at RAC, Natasa Wilson, will present information about the latest tricks and techniques used by shoplifters to evade security systems and show footage demonstrating how crime gangs work in teams to steal goods.
Ms Karté encouraged business owners to come along to the September briefing and help build a united front when it comes to tackling crime in Stirling.
She said: 'These meetings are an essential opportunity for local businesses to stay informed, connected and better equipped to tackle retail crime.
'They are key to strengthening local partnerships, enhancing prevention strategies and creating a safer trading environment in Stirling.
'And they are about more than just sharing information - they're about building a united front against crime. By working together, sharing intelligence and utilising crime prevention tools like SentrySIS effectively, we can make a real difference in reducing retail crime and protecting our communities.'
Any BID levy-payers who want to try out the SentrySIS tool can request more information at any time by contacting admin@goforthstirling.co.uk
Businesses who are not levy payers and who would like to access SentrySIS can also get in touch to discuss a voluntary BID membership.
Stirling-based Retailers Against Crime is a national retail crime partnership, established in 1997, which aims to detect and prevent crime by sharing information on local and travelling offenders with members and partners throughout the UK. More information is available on their website - www.retailersagainstcrime.org
Go Forth Stirling is the city's BID representing more than 600 business owners with a key objective of increasing visitors to the city and devising initiatives to help make it a more welcoming destination for businesses and shoppers. For more information visit www.goforthstirling.co.uk
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Cheapest supermarket to fill up your car with fuel revealed – and you could save 4p a litre
Fuel prices rose in July for the second month in a row FUELLED UP Cheapest supermarket to fill up your car with fuel revealed – and you could save 4p a litre Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE CHEAPEST supermarket to fill up your car with fuel has been revealed - and it could save you 4p a litre. Fuel prices rose in July for the second month in a row by almost a penny a litre, according to the RAC. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Fuel prices rose in July for the second month in a row Credit: PA Motorists have been told to make sure they're filling up their cars at the supermarket, where prices are "considerably cheaper". The average price of a litre of unleaded at the end of month was 135p – up 0.85p from 134.15p at the start of the month. The price of a litre of diesel, meanwhile, rose by 1.64p from 141.21p to 142.85p. Prices are up 3p and 4.5p respectively since the start of June. It means the cost of filling up a family car with petrol is now £74.26, and £78.57 with diesel. However, filling up at the supermarket can be far cheaper than other petrol stations, the RAC said. Supermarket forecourts are charging 131.5p on average for litre of and 139p for diesel – both almost 4p less than the UK averages. These are currently the cheapest supermarkets to fill up your car with petrol (based on average prices): Asda - 131.0p Sainsbury's - 131.5p Tesco - 131.6p Morrisons - 131.7p These are currently the cheapest supermarkets to fill up your car with diesel: Asda - 138.7p Sainsbury's - 139.0p Tesco - 139.1p Morrisons - 140.0p Warning over petrol station mistake which can cost £1,000s However, Costco, which is known for its cheap fuel prices, was charging an average of 125.6p for petrol and 133.2p for diesel at its 20 forecourts across Great Britain at the end of July. You need to become a Costco member to use its forecourts - you can read our guide to its membership rules here. Petrol is now at its highest since mid-April this year, the RAC added, while diesel was last at its highest in the third week of March this year. RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams said: 'Unfortunately, drivers heading into the busy summer holiday season will be met with rising prices at the pumps, as the cost of fuel increased in July for the second month running. 'While the average price of petrol for the year so far is just a couple of pence above the average for all of 2021, drivers are still meant to be benefiting from a 5p-a-litre fuel duty discount (52.95p as opposed to 57.95p) which has been in place since the start of the Ukraine War in early 2022. 'Our analysis of the difference between wholesale and retail prices shows retailer margins remain high, particularly on petrol. "This is emphasised by the fact the average price of unleaded in Northern Ireland is 7p cheaper than the average across the UK. 'Drivers may also see significant differences on forecourt totems from area to area which can be very frustrating." He added that drivers should keep an eye out for the lowest prices around to buy the best value fuel. You can also use the RAC's free mobile app - myRAC - to find the cheapest fuel near you. Northern Ireland remains the cheapest place in the UK to buy fuel, with a litre of unleaded averaging just 128p and diesel 134.5p. In England, unleaded prices off the motorway range by 34p from 125.7p to 159.9p, the RAC said. In Scotland they go from 125.7p to 152.9p (27.2p) and in Wales from 127.7p to 142.9p (15.2p). In Northern Ireland, there is just 12p difference between the lowest and highest prices (124.9p and 136.9p). Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
SoftBank Group swings to profit in first quarter, Stargate timeline delayed
TOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group (9984.T), opens new tab on Thursday booked a net profit of $2.87 billion in the first quarter, driven by gains among larger listed investments in its Vision Fund portfolio. The result will likely be welcomed by investors as SoftBank pursues its biggest spending spree since the launch of its Vision Funds in 2017 and 2019, this time making mammoth investments in artificial intelligence companies. Investors and analysts are awaiting updates on the timeline for returns to materialise and to what extent assets will be monetised to fund the new projects. The Stargate project - a $500 billion scheme to develop data centres in the United States for which SoftBank is leading financing - has been delayed by longer than expected negotiations with other parties and deciding on sites, chief financial officer Yoshimitsu Goto told a briefing in Tokyo. "It's taking a little longer than our initial timeline but I want to pick up the pace," Goto said. SoftBank has identified sites across the U.S. and several are progressing, Goto said, but he declined to provide details on the schedule or the order sites would be built out. Favourable market conditions for technology companies over the quarter raised valuations of SoftBank's array of startup stakes, potentially fuelling monetisation opportunities that can be directed toward newer investments. SoftBank's Vision Funds hold $45 billion worth of late-stage companies ready to list soon, up from $36 billion at the end of March, although much of the increase derives from the additional $7.5 billion Vision Fund 2 invested in OpenAI in June. The group overall logged a net profit of 421.8 billion yen ($2.87 billion) for the April-June quarter. The result compared with a net loss of 174.3 billion yen for the same period a year earlier and the average profit estimate of 127.6 billion yen compiled by LSEG from three analysts. The Vision Fund unit posted an investment gain of 726.8 billion yen ($4.94 billion), around half of which derived from a surge in the share price of South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang (CPNG.N), opens new tab over the quarter. SoftBank is leading a $40 billion funding round for ChatGPT maker OpenAI. SoftBank has until the end of the year to fund its $22.5 billion portion, although the remainder has been subscribed, according to a source familiar with the matter. The OpenAI investment and Stargate project form part of SoftBank's effort to position itself as the "organiser of the industry," founder Masayoshi Son said in June. Concerning Stargate, SoftBank remains committed to its target of building out $500 billion worth of data centres over four years and the banks involved in the project financing, including Japan's "Megabanks" and major U.S. banks, have shown positive interest in the scheme, Goto said. SoftBank has yet to release details on what kinds of returns its financing of the Stargate project could generate. The extent of third-party investment will determine what other financing tools, such as bank loans and debt issuance, it may have to deploy. SoftBank has raised $7.8 billion by selling off a portion of its holding in T-Mobile (TMUS.O), opens new tab in June and August, Goto said. However SoftBank's performance in exiting from investments and distributing profit has been patchy of late. The Vision Funds have made a cumulative investment gain of just $5 billion out of a total committed capital of $172.2 billion as of the end of June. ($1 = 147.0600 yen)
Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Regular driving habit seen as 'helpful to others' could risk you points on licence
A driving expert has warned that there are a number of things that motorists do every day that are 'actually illegal' and could get you into hot water with the police You might be breaking the law every time you slip behind the wheel, a motoring expert has warned, and it could land you with penalty points on your licence. Whether you secured your driving test just months ago, years back, or even decades past, nearly every driver is guilty of occasionally doing something they're not technically meant to do. Most motorists are aware these actions are wrong, but sometimes it's safer than following the "correct" approach, and it's typically not a major issue if it only happens rarely. However, one automotive expert has revealed there are actually some "common" behaviours drivers engage in daily that are against the law and could land you in hot water - including penalty points being slapped on your licence. The individual behind the Capturing Cars account on TikTok is a car photographer and ex-car salesman, and he posted a video spotlighting five of the most frequent driving practices he witnesses motorists doing daily that are "actually illegal". 1. Middle lane hogging The expert branded this driving practice as "annoying", and explained that beyond simply being irritating for fellow motorists, travelling in the middle lane whilst on a motorway without shifting into the inside lane is against the law. You should only utilise the middle and outside lanes for overtaking, whilst the inside lane should be the main driving lane. He warned: "If you're driving in the middle lane when the left-hand lane is completely clear and for no good reason, you can actually get points on your licence and a fine as well. I would suggest you'd be unlucky to be pulled over for this, but you shouldn't be doing it anyway." Under laws introduced in 2013, police have the power to issue an immediate fine of up to £100 and three penalty points on your licence if you're caught unnecessarily occupying the middle lane. 2. Eating or drinking Whilst it's not illegal per se to eat or drink whilst driving, if you become distracted and lose control of your vehicle as a result, you could be charged with careless driving. This is because the Highway Code explicitly states that "safe driving and riding needs concentration". If you are pulled over by police for careless driving due to eating or drinking, you may face a £100 fine and three penalty points on your licence. However, more serious cases have resulted in a hefty £5,000 fine, nine penalty points, and a driving ban. 3. Driving too slowly It's common knowledge that exceeding the speed limit is against the law, but did you know that driving significantly under the speed limit can also be illegal? According to the motoring expert, driving "significantly under" the speed limit without a valid reason can be deemed dangerous, as it increases the likelihood of an accident with a car that is adhering to the limit. The RAC has clarified that while there's no specific law against driving too slowly, the police can charge you for "driving without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other road users". This offence could result in between three and nine penalty points. 4. Warning drivers of speed cameras by flashing headlights You may believe you're helping your fellow motorists by alerting them to an upcoming speed camera with a flash of your headlights, but this act could land you in trouble. An expert explained: "Legally, this is seen as obstructing a police officer and can lead to fines and possibly points on your licence." According to Highway Code rule 110, you should "only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there" and not use them to "convey any other message or intimidate other road users". The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charging standards indicate that warning drivers of a speed trap or speed camera would constitute the offence of obstructing a police officer, which can carry a fine of up to £1,000. 5. Driving with dirty number plates Lastly, the expert highlighted another common driving habit he frequently observes - people driving with number plates so dirty that the letters or numbers are unreadable. The RAC states that driving with an obscured number plate can result in a fine of up to £1,000, and your car could even fail its MOT if the plate cannot be read clearly. To prevent this, it's always a good idea to keep a cloth in your car that you can use to clean your number plates, especially if you frequently drive through muddy or dusty areas where dirt might adhere to the plate.
