Latest news with #StephanieKarté
Daily Record
21-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
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
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Daily Record
Shoplifting squad swoop on Glasgow city centre - arresting "prolific offenders"
Cops combine big shops to scour CCTV and swoop on targets suspected of major organised shoplifting operations A major crackdown on retail crime saw suspected "prolific" offenders busted. A squad 31 plain-clothed and uniformed officers, including two from British Transport Police, homed in on suspects after tip-offs from retailers in Scotland's busiest shopping centre. The Glasgow operation, coordinated by the Retailers Against Crime (RAC) group, resulted in five arrests plus an additional 12 people charged with offences including shoplifting and drug possession. Stephanie Karté, National Operations Manager at RAC, said: 'A good number of offenders were prevented from shoplifting and causing anti-social behaviour on the day. 'Days like these are so important and it brought police, security staff and retailers together to build relationships and help fight the ongoing battle against retail crime which is a substantial problem and can seem extremely overwhelming. 'We are all working to the same objective – to stop retailers being hit with thefts and incidents of antisocial behaviour - and we all want to make a difference by working together. Everyone has a part to play and it's great to see so many retail staff getting involved and our Days of Action getting busier each time.' The RAC team used intelligence from the SentrySIS crime-fighting tool, which sees users share real-time information about thefts and other incidents, to draw up details of the most active shoplifters in the city. Staff from Glasgow retailers gathered for a morning briefing before being supplied with APEX radios to contact police officers if they spotted suspects in their store or on the streets. One security officer who joined the Day of Action said: 'The overall consensus was that it was a phenomenal day with a real sense of camaraderie and good results in terms of deterring several people from shoplifting. 'I've been involved in the RAC Days of Action for about five years now, I've attended every one and this was the best yet. They have evolved into something very important and make a real dent in the criminality we see in the city centre which has increased massively in recent years. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'It gives retailers more confidence to see people getting caught and arrested.' A Loss Prevention Officer involved in the crackdown added: 'We went out into the streets as part of a team and were able to deter and disrupt a lot of known criminals as well as gathering intelligence on others. 'It was a useful experience and as well as catching criminals, it enables us to build better relationships with city centre police officers.' Figures from the British Retail Consortium's annual crime survey released earlier this year highlighted how retail crime is 'spiralling out of control' with 55,000 thefts a day across the UK – an all-time high - and violent and abusive incidents rising by 50% last year. And RAC figures detail how incidents of violent crime are surging with 1674 reported to the organisation by members during 2024 from a total of 11,890 offences. 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.
Glasgow Times
13-05-2025
- Glasgow Times
12 people charged in intense crackdown on Glasgow retail crime
Police Scotland officers were joined by members of Retailers Against Crime (RAC) to tackle a surge in shoplifting. During their "most successful" exercise to date, individuals were charged with offences including shoplifting and drug possession. A team of 31 plain-clothed and uniformed cops, including two from British Transport Police, spent the day on the streets of Glasgow focusing on the most prolific retail crime offenders. (Image: Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital) (Image: Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital) (Image: Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital) READ NEXT: Organised crime gangs travelled to Glasgow to nick designer gear One security officer, who joined the Day of Action, said: 'The overall consensus was that it was a phenomenal day with a real sense of camaraderie and good results in terms of deterring several people from shoplifting. 'I've been involved in the RAC Days of Action for about five years now, I've attended every one and this was the best yet. "They have evolved into something very important and make a real dent in the criminality we see in the city centre, which has increased massively in recent years. 'It gives retailers more confidence to see people getting caught and arrested.' Figures from the British Retail Consortium's annual crime survey released earlier this year highlighted how retail crime is 'spiralling out of control' with 55,000 thefts a day across the UK – an all-time high - and violent and abusive incidents rising by 50% last year. RAC figures also detail how incidents of violent crime are surging, with 1674 reported to the organisation by members during 2024 from a total of 11,890 offences. Stephanie Karté (Image: Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital) (Image: Newsquest) READ NEXT: Glasgow cops crack down on shoplifting - this store is targeted most Stephanie Karté, national operations manager at RAC, said: 'This was our most successful Day of Action so far with an outstanding turnout from retailers and our partners. "A good number of offenders were prevented from shoplifting and causing anti-social behaviour on the day. 'Days like these are so important and they brought police, security staff and retailers together to build relationships and help fight the ongoing battle against retail crime, which is a substantial problem and can seem extremely overwhelming.' Natasa Wilson, RAC intelligence co-ordinator, added: 'Our latest Day of Action was the best one yet. It reflected the precise planning which goes into the day from us and Police Scotland and the great partnership and support we receive from our members and security companies.' (Image: Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital) (Image: Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital) As part of our series The Cost of Crime, the Glasgow Times previously joined cops and security officers during a day of action in November 2024. They revealed that organised gangs use sophisticated tactics to target shops. We also revealed that between December 1, 2024, and January 8, 2025, 49 people were arrested and taken into custody or charged in connection with retail thefts, with a total of 61 incidents recorded by officers in that period. It comes as a dedicated shoplifting team was established in the city centre.
