In a move aimed at enhancing customer and staff safety, Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, is set to trial a new facial recognition system across 40 of its stores starting this Monday. The 10-week trial, which will utilise the Auror platform already used by several other retailers and UK police forces, is part of Tesco’s efforts to identify repeat offenders and address the surge in retail crime.
During the trial, specially trained personnel stationed at Tesco’s Security Hub in Daventry will review CCTV footage of serious incidents across Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. While live CCTV images will not be scanned, Tesco has confirmed that still images “may be analysed retrospectively using non-live facial recognition” as part of investigations.
The decision to implement this “police-style” facial recognition system comes in the wake of the latest BRC Crime Survey, which revealed that incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers now exceed 2,000 per day. Tesco believes this trial will “help improve colleague safety and tackle abuse and violent behaviour by identifying repeat and dangerous offenders, and assisting police with their investigations.”
Mark Gleeson, VP of UK and Europe at Auror, the company providing the software, explained that the system will give Tesco’s store teams a “structured and consistent way to record crime after it occurs.” This, he said, will help the retailer “better connect the dots on prolific offenders across multiple locations and provide the information they need to make informed decisions to enhance colleague safety and collaborate with police.”
Tesco’s investment in this new security measure comes as part of a broader effort to address the rising tide of retail crime. Over the past four years, the company has poured tens of millions of pounds into a variety of security initiatives, including increased funding for security officers, the deployment of body-worn cameras, protective screens, and additional mobile security support, as well as the implementation of enhanced door entry systems.
As Tesco embarks on this trial, the retailer has emphasised its commitment to leading the way in tackling the symptoms of retail crime and driving collaboration across the sector to deter would-be criminals.
