At present, there is no shopwatch radio scheme in place in Thornaby town centre.
The vast majority of town centres run such a scheme and the benefits are numerous.
Stores can communicate with each other and the local police team quickly if they identify a potential offender or group intent on causing anti-social behaviour.
Calls to the police control room can take several minutes to cascade down to local officers to act on. By then, the offender may have already left the area.
Between 10 and 17 outlets in Thornaby town centre are interested in signing a contract with a provider for the rental of a radio and equipment over a prolonged length of time.
Thornaby Town Council and ward councillors have already provided £1,105 funding. This application is for the PCC to match fund this total.
Total funding of £2,210 would enable all the outlets to sign up to a contract free of charge. Contracts would last between nine and 12 months.
This will allow the scheme to become established and retailers to see the benefits of investing to sustain the scheme going forward.
Shoplifting is a volume crime for Cleveland Police. It is hoped that this initiative will reduce incidents and increase detection within Thornaby town centre.
Decision 34. Thornaby Town Centre Shop Watch Scheme funding (application, 29kB)