FUNDING to tackle cross-border retail crime using innovative technology has been pledged by Warwickshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Ron Ball.

A sum of £1,500 was agreed at the Business and Rural Crime Board meeting in April.

Awarded to the Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative, the project will allow information about shoplifters and other criminals who commit retail crime to be shared across a secure online system called ACIS, so retailers know when criminals have crossed into different areas.

The system will link across several retail schemes in towns and cities as well as all town centre SNT teams in Warwickshire and Police Intelligence for Warwickshire and West Mercia.

Targeting travelling shoplifters and other people known to commit crime against retail premises in the first instance, this will be widened in some circumstances to include persons who are barred from licensed premises that are members of pub watch schemes.

For those retailers who do not use the secure site, paper bulletins will be made available. It is intended that the scheme will launch later this year.

Mr Ball said: “Retail crime is a growing problem across the country. We know that the overall cost of retail crime has soared nationally by 15.6 per cent in a year to £1.6 billion, but we also know that crime does not stop at the county border. We need to be more sophisticated in tackling travelling criminals and ensure that retailers have the right information to be vigilant against retail crime.

“I am determined to get to grips with this problem in Warwickshire and am delighted to be supporting this innovative scheme. It will play an important role in helping to tackle this problem in our county and across our neighbouring areas.”