News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 25 September 2009
A competition has
been opened for designers to develop new ideas or methods to
tackle retail crimes such as shoplifting, Home Office Minister
Alan Campbell said today,
Design students from across the country are being invited to
enter the competition as part of the national Retail Crime Action
Plan, which sets out a broad range of actions to tackle crime
against retailers and small businesses.
The competition is part of the Home Secretary's Design
and Technology Alliance's work to "design
out" crime. It is aimed at generating innovative and
cost-effective ways of stopping crimes likes shoplifting or
"dipping" with measures such as new types of
packaging, new shop layouts or products such as more secure
trolleys and baskets.
Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:
"I am determined to ensure that small businesses are not
taken advantage of during these hard economic times. This
competition is just one part of our Retail Crime Action Plan which
is providing real support where it is most needed.
"Innovative design has been used to tackle a range of
crimes including theft of cars and mobile phones, fraud and
burglary and I am confident that this competition will lead to
some similarly effective solutions. I would encourage all
designers to take part in that process.
"Alongside this we're providing real help now
to small retailers with a £5 million fund to pay for improved
security in the places it is most needed."
The competition was developed by Dr Lorraine Gamman, Professor of
Design Studies at Central Saint Martins College of Art &
Design and lead on business crime for the Design and Technology
Alliance (DTA). It will be run by the Royal Society for the
encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce as part of its
Design Directions project.
Dr Gamman said:
"We aim to inspire designers to be more ingenious than
shoplifters by using their creativity and cunning to deliver
"state of the art" secure design solutions that
make the risk of being caught more real. This competition offers a
unique opportunity for design innovation.
"I hope to see a paradigm shift - inventive use of
inexpensive technologies, and even designs that let us all know
whether products have been paid for or not."
The Home Office and RSA have previously worked together, led by
designer Adam Thorpe, to develop new and innovative measures to
tackle crime. They have collaborated with the Bikeoff 2 research
project to look at design-led strategies to reduce the risk of
bike theft and increase cycle use in cities. One of the designs,
an m-shaped bike stand enabling cyclists to lock their bikes
through both wheels making it more secure, was taken up by a bike
parking manufacturer and distributed across the UK.
The results of the competition can be viewed at http://www.rsadesigndirections.org/design-directions/2008-09/exh/project/index.php.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. For more information about the competition go to www.rsadesigndirections.org/projects/projects11.html
2. The Retail Crime Action Plan (RCAP) was launched in August
2009. It was developed by the National Retail Crime Steering Group
drawn up in partnership with the Government and the retail
industry. It details a broad range of actions to tackle crimes
against retailers and small businesses. They include a Securing
Your Business online risk assessment tool, developed by crime
prevention experts, which businesses can complete to identify
simple measures they can take to reduce the risk of crime. For
more information about the Retail Crime Action Plan and the
Securing your Business tool go to www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/business-retail-crime/
3. The RCAP also includes a Small Retailers Grants Fund of £5
million to provide grants of up to £3,000 to small retailers in 50
priority areas to buy crime prevention devices such as security
grills, alarms or UV markers. For more information ring 0845 223
5454, log on to www.grantsadmin.co.uk/smallretailerscapitalfund
or email smallretailerscapitalfund@grantsadmin.co.uk
4. The RCAP is part of a wider programme of work to tackle crimes
such as robbery and burglary. Other initiatives include the
Vigilance Programme which provides additional resources to 35
areas across the country to deal with emerging challenges in
burglary and robbery by cracking down on known and repeat
offenders.
5. The Design & Technology Alliance was established by
the Home Office in 2007 and is tasked with bringing about
innovation and encouraging others to 'think
crime' in the first stages of design, planning and
product development. It is comprised of ten experts from the world
of design industry and law enforcement.
6. Historically design has been used to address a number of
different crimes including:
* the number of skyjackings decreased from around 70 per year to
15 in the 1970s as a result of passenger and baggage screening;
* chip and PIN has helped reduce fraud on lost or stolen cards to
its lowest total since APACS began collating fraud loss figures in 1991;
* BCS figures show theft of vehicles has reduced by 51% since
1997 as a result of improved security being designed into the vehicle;
* an evaluation of houses built to the ACPO Secured By Design
(SBD) standards showed that these experience 26% less crime than
non SBD houses, and residents fear of crime is lower; and
* research in Liverpool in 2001 showed domestic burglary reduced
by 37% due to alleygates.
4. For more information contact the Home Office press office on
020 7035 3535.
196/2009
Contacts:
Home Office Press Office
Phone: 020 7035 3535
NDS.HO@coi.gsi.gov.uk