Business · 4 min read
Shoplifting.
What your CCTV has to capture.
Most shop cameras are pointed at the floor from the ceiling. They show that something happened; they rarely show who. Here's what a system needs to produce evidence that leads somewhere.
85 shoplifting reports were reported within a mile of Wolverhampton centre last month. See the full picture →
The three shots that matter
- The face at the door. A camera at head height inside the entrance, facing people as they come in, before they've looked for cameras. This is the one that identifies.
- Hands at the till and high-value shelves. Angled to see what's being handled and what goes into pockets, not the tops of heads.
- The exit and the car park. Which way they went, and a plate if they drove.
What the police need from you
A clip, exported in the recorder's native format with the timestamp, showing the offence and a usable face. A description of what was taken and its value. Ideally a still of the face you can hand over. Officers deal with hundreds of these; the ones with clean evidence get actioned.
Retention and signage
Keep footage at least 30 days — many incidents are reported late or recognised on a return visit. Compliant signage at the entrance stating CCTV is in operation and who runs it. Staff should know how to export a clip; we train on the day.
8MP at the entrance for faces, 4MP over tills and high-value areas, a wide floor camera, AcuSense-type recorder for search by person, 30-day retention, signage, and a staff export walkthrough. See commercial CCTV.
Your property decides. Not the logo.
Questions
Good to know.
Can I share shoplifter images with other shops?
Be careful — sharing identifiable images has data-protection implications. Local business crime partnerships have proper schemes for this.
Do I need to tell staff they're on CCTV?
Yes — a CCTV policy that staff have seen, including what it's used for.
Is a monitor at the till a deterrent?
Yes, a public-view monitor at the entrance showing people themselves is a well-known deterrent.