Tesco has announced plans to trial a new crime reporting platform at 40 of its stores.

The Auror platform, which is already used by several retailers and UK police forces, is designed to make it easier and quicker for colleagues to report security incidents.

The technology brings together all the data and information into a single source to simplify the process for retailers and law enforcement to build, manage, track, and resolve cases faster.

The UK’s largest supermarket chain said that the 10-week trial, which is being conducted across Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, aims to drive down retail crime at its stores, as well as protect colleagues and increase collaboration with the police and wider retail market.

During the trial, CCTV footage of serious incidents and theft will be reviewed by specifically trained colleagues at the Tesco Security Hub in Daventry.

Where necessary, CCTV still images may be analysed retrospectively using non-live facial recognition, as part of an investigation.

Tesco said that live CCTV images will not be reviewed as part of this trial, assuring its workers and customers that they are not being scanned by live facial recognition.

The move comes as recent research from the British Retail Consortium shows that incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers now surpasses 2,000 a day.

“This trial will help us improve colleague safety and tackle abuse and violent behaviour by identifying repeat and dangerous offenders, and assisting police with their investigations," said Rachel Bennett, security director, Tesco. “The investments we are making in improving safety across our store network will ensure that we not only lead the way in tackling the symptoms of retail crime, but drive collaboration right across the retail sector to deter would-be criminals."

Tesco has already invested tens of millions of pounds over the last four years in a range of security measures, including funding its highest ever rates in security officers and rolling out body worn cameras, protective screens, additional mobile security officer support, and door entry systems.

In February last year, Tesco unveiled a multimillion-pound security hub in Daventry, Northamptonshire, as part of a major investment to tackle the growing problem of retail crime across its UK stores.

The high-tech centre, which operates 24 hours a day throughout the year, analyses thousands of hours of CCTV footage to target shoplifters and protect staff from violence. Security operators have been assigned responsibility for monitoring specific groups of stores across the UK.

The company also recently became the first major UK retailer to roll out body worn cameras to help its delivery drivers.

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