27 August 2024
The National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police forces, has developed a standardised witness statement for retailers submitting CCTV evidence to the police through Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS).
This standardised statement ensures that retailers provide all the necessary information for the police to process CCTV footage as evidence in criminal cases.
Supt Patrick Holdaway, NBCC lead, explains: “While many retailers can upload CCTV onto DEMS, various statement formats were being used by police forces. Workshops with retailers highlighted the need for a consistent statement format to assist both retailers and the police.
“The challenge was to create a statement acceptable to all police forces. By identifying best practices, the NBCC worked with the CPS and police forces to develop a standard version that meets CPS requirements.”
As noted in the Retail Crime Action Plan, sharing digital evidence via DEMS is the fastest, most effective, and secure method for sharing CCTV and images. Quick delivery of footage/images will benefit investigations and support long-term prevention strategies. More information about DEMS can be found here: Can your CCTV transfer digital evidence to police? (nbcc.police.uk)
The new witness statement is available for download on the website and will be accepted by all police forces across England and Wales: Video Witness Statement.
Bira CEO, Andrew Goodacre said, "We have been asking for some time for extra guidance and clarity on how businesses can best use CCTV images when reporting crimes. Shop theft continues to be a problem and more businesses have invested in CCTV to protect their employees and their stock. We welcome this initiative and urge all retailers to use it when reporting crimes so that the perpetrators are prosecuted."
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