OPERATION RETAIL - Reporting shoplifting to the police

Operation Retail aims to streamline the process of evidence retrieval once a retail theft offence has been reported to the police, making the process easier and saving time for both retail staff and the police.

The incident must be reported via 101or online at met.police.uk
In an emergency always call 999.

To investigate the report we need any CCTV or body worn video footage you have that can be used as evidence to prosecute the offender. We will also need a statement from you.
 

Once reported, an investigating officer will send you a pro-forma MG11 statement and a link to upload this and any video evidence via email. It’s simple to complete, but if your recording device does not have access to the internet, you’ll need to move the footage from your CCTV recorder and put it onto a computer with internet access. You can then use the link we provide to upload it to our secure portal.

You must not print and write on the statement we send you, this is to be filled in digitally and returned via the secure link provided.

CCTV footage must be sent to us using the secure sharing platform maintained by Axon Community. Please note that the link can only be accessed once and is active for 7 working days. Your investigation will not be progressed unless we hear back from you.

CCTV needs to be in its original format
We cannot accept footage that has, for example, been recorded from a monitor with a mobile phone.

Returning the documentation will be confirmation that you are willing to support a police investigation, attend court and give evidence if requested to do so.
Please do not complete and return the documents if you are not willing to do this.

If you want to update us, or want information to know the status of your investigation, please call the Crime Management Service on 0208 284 5100.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why the evidence pack?

To enable the investigation to be more time efficient for all parties involved. We often found that when officers did attend, the relevant staff member wasn’t present or CCTV couldn’t
be provided by them. By using these packs retailers can complete this in their own time and return to us remotely by using the secure link sent.

It also allows us to focus on your prolific shoplifters and the ones who are causing the most harm. If you are being targeted by the same person then please mention this when you report the crime. We will then work with you to build a case against them and endeavour to prevent them from returning to your store.

Can an officer attend and take the CCTV/statement?

Generally, no. As we need to be more efficient with the officers we have available we do not routinely send officers to reports of shopliftings where a suspect is not present.
The pack was designed to negate the need for an officer to attend. If you are having issues with this however, please do get in touch as we will do what we can to assist.

Why is CCTV needed? Why is a statement needed?

CCTV serves two purposes. Firstly it is a record of the offence being committed and it allows us to try to identify the suspect/s involved. A statement is needed, again, for two reasons; to officially record what has happened, what has been stolen and to document the chain of evidence.

What CCTV do you need? What if I don’t have CCTV? They’re wearing a mask, should I still send the footage?

Generally, from the moment the suspect first appears on cameras until they leave and all time in-between, NOT just when they enter/exit for example. This is so that the best images for ID and the full offence are captured. It also helps prove or disprove any defence a suspect may give.

If you don’t have CCTV we will need a statement from someone who witnessed the offence and can describe or help identify the suspect. Without this we will be unable to investigate further. We are also well aware that face coverings can made identification difficult. If you believe an identification can still be made from the footage, send it in. If not, or you are unsure please get in touch.

The pro-forma statement doesn’t quite apply. What should I do?

The statement is written so as to apply to as many situations as possible. Inevitably there will be times when this won’t apply to your specific situation such as if a suspect has committed multiple offences. Please contact us if this is the case and we will do what we can to assist.

I have footage from more than one incident. What should I do?

You can place all your footage onto the one link, however the statement provided must reflect this. If returning CCTV for multiple reports/dates/incidents etc. please ensure all relevant crime reports are recorded in your statement.

What about data protection?

More information can be found at https://www.met.police.uk/hyg/fpnm/privacyand the Data Protection Act 2018 (Schedule 1, Part 2, Paragraph 10):

10 (1) This condition is met if the processing —
(a) is necessary for the purposes of the prevention or detection of an unlawful act,
(b) must be carried out without the consent of the data subject so as not to prejudice those purposes, and
(c) is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

(2) If the processing consists of the disclosure of personal data to a competent authority, or is carried out in preparation for such disclosure, the condition in sub-paragraph (1) is met even if, when the processing is carried out, the controller does not have an appropriate policy document in place (see paragraph 5 of this Schedule).

Kindly please share this information to other businesses.