New team to gather and analyse information about organised retail crime groups

  • National police unit opens training to tackle organised retail crime
  • New team within national policing’s intelligence unit, Opal, to gather and analyse information about organised retail crime groups
  • Funded by the Pegasus partnership, the team is implementing training programs for retailers and police forces
  • Initiatives aim to guide retailers and police forces on how to refer intelligence effectively
  • Virtual sessions will demonstrate how the team will work with forces, retailers, businesses, and organizations to gather information
  • Opal’s service does not replace reporting incidents to local police force, but is a route for sharing information and intelligence packages
  • Shoplifting offences across England and Wales have skyrocketed to their highest rate in 20 years
  • Primark introduces blue ‘sold’ stickers to deter criminals

A new team within the national policing’s intelligence unit, Opal, will soon begin gathering and analysing information about organised retail crime groups. Funded by the recently established Pegasus partnership, the team is implementing training programs for retailers and police forces. These initiatives aim to guide them on how to refer intelligence effectively, which can then be analysed and explored on a national scale. The virtual sessions will demonstrate how the team will work with forces, retailers, businesses, and organizations to gather information. Opal’s service does not replace reporting incidents to your local police force, but is a route for sharing information and intelligence packages. Shoplifting offences across England and Wales have skyrocketed to their highest rate in 20 years, and Primark has introduced blue ‘sold’ stickers to deter criminals.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides factual information about the establishment of a new team within the national policing’s intelligence unit to combat organized retail crime. It includes details about the team’s funding, training programs, and objectives. The article also quotes Opal’s head of intelligence, Stephanie Coombes, providing insights into the team’s role and the importance of sharing information. The statistics mentioned from the Office for National Statistics add credibility to the issue of rising shoplifting offences. Overall, the article presents information in a straightforward and objective manner without significant digressions, bias, or inaccuracies.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about a new team within the national policing’s intelligence unit, Opal, and their efforts to combat organized retail crime. It includes details about the team’s initiatives, training programs, and the increase in shoplifting offenses. The article stays on topic and supports its claims with examples and quotes from Opal’s head of intelligence. However, there is some repetitive information and unnecessary links to sign up for newsletters, which slightly increase the noise level.
Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Rating Justification: The article does not pertain to financial topics and does not describe any extreme events. It discusses the establishment of a new team within the national policing’s intelligence unit to combat shoplifting and gather information about organized retail crime groups.

Reported publicly: www.retailgazette.co.uk