21-07-2025
Businesses in Stirling urged to sign up to crime-fighting tool
Traders can view real-time information and alerts about thefts and anti-social behaviour happening in the city.
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@
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 -
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
