The retail security contractors Cardinal have launched a site to try and pull together all the images and intelligence that is flying about but not being sorted and properly disseminated. People can upload details and images directly at www.crimeintel.com; and retailers can simply email us and we will provide a log-on ID and password for a site where they can upload details they have and then see some reports and maps and once uploaded galleries of offenders. Jim Gibson, Operations Director, at Cardinal Solutions, writes:
It has become clear that it is the businesses, local and national multiples that have taken the brunt of the recent rampage that swept across England in recent days. Many retailers were actually targeted using social media sites as having the โmostโ desirable good to steal. Much of this stock will now be on sale at car boot sales and in the less reputable pubs.
There are a significant number of media sites with lots of photos of actual looting and acts of criminality, some people have already been identified and targeted for arrest from these images. However, newspapers with the images will be wrapping fish and chips within a few days and the news media websites will be on the next โbigโ story within the week if no further trouble erupts. This leaves the business owners with loss, damage and in some cases total destruction, but with dwindling interest from the public, government and even the police as other priorities arise.
We donโt intend to let this happen, we have set up a website at www.crimeintel.com here we are inviting anyone to logon to a simple screen and upload photographs of offenders and some basic facts regarding the image, place, date, time etc. We will place this information directly onto the Cr:iisp platform that is already in use by local Crime Partnerships and has a successful track record of identifying unknown offenders via local intelligence. These images will be shared as โgalleriesโ to identify these offenders and allow police action to bring them to justice.
We have also set up a space on our CRIISP-lp platform for this โCrimeFightingโ initiative and we will provided retailers and other businesses with a โFreeโ logon ID so they can upload photos and or CCTV images of offenders and details of the incidents, all those with a logon will be able to share this information and see statistical reports and maps of the incidents, they will also have a search facility. If you havenโt received a log on ID and would like to participate then go to the website www.crimeintel.com
and make the request.
Crime Partnerships in the areas affected are being contacted to provide them with a โFreeโ logon ID so they can review the โgalleriesโ and circulate them within their local communities to establish the identities of the offenders and prompt police intervention. If you are aware of a Crime Partnership that would benefit from this service ask them to visit www.crimeintel.com
and request a logon ID.
Ensure that your company and those of others that trade around you to create a vibrant retail and business community are taking pro-active steps to prevent these crimes from reoccurring and further impacting on your trade and profitability, start be getting a logon ID and sharing all the details and images that you have available.
The police and government will only continue to hold these incidents as a priority so long as they are maintained as high profile cases, the more that are indentified and brought to trial over the coming weeks and months the greater the publicity and impact that will have.
We see this not as a quick win but as a longer term project to protect all businesses large and small within the local communities in which they trade. A Crime Partnership approach where data and intelligence sharing is a central component in tackling all business crime and antisocial behaviour, where the business community can take a lead together with the police in helping to create safer and more prosperous environments.
