Free app helps businesses across Thames Valley fight crime

Disc, which has been funded by the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, has seen 1,563 businesses sign up and 1,758 incidents registered since its launch.

The app can be used as part of retail, night time economy or anti-social behaviour schemes and contains features including galleries of offenders and the ability to submit reports of incidents.

Police and Crime Commissioner Barber said: “This app has been a key part of my retail crime strategy to make reporting shoplifting and the sharing of information easier for retailers and has been a great success.

“I encourage businesses to join and to make full use of the app so more criminals can be brought to justice and retail staff can be protected.

“Maximising member participation is essential for successful crime reduction schemes.”

The app is available free of charge to businesses across Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

Oliver Fletcher, the Thames Valley’s business crime reduction partnership manager added: “Disc can support retailers through any obstacles, although this is a very user-friendly app, which allows the reporting of shoplifting or anti-social behaviour to be completed very quickly and for the partnership of businesses, police, and local authorities to happen in real time to address the fact that many of these offenders are part of criminal groups and prolific in certain areas.

“Some businesses still prefer to ring 101, but this system is tailored to retail and similar crimes, making it much more targeted and efficient.”

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