Victoria Police’s Operation STAND serves as an excellent example of collaboration between law enforcement and retailers. Operation STAND is a showcase of how a collaborative, data-informed, proactive approach to tackling crime (particularly in a resource-constrained environment) leads to impactful results.
Alongside Auror, Victoria Police has partnered with retailers to proactively address aggressive, violent and high-harm offenders in the City of Melbourne and Yarra.
Thanks to retailer reporting on Auror (and other means), Police have been able to target offenders, make arrests and prevent future crime. By presenting a more complete picture of a person’s offending to the judiciary, therefore carrying more impactful penalties and deterrence, Operation STAND is further safeguarding businesses and enhancing community safety.
Data-driven crime prevention
Victoria Police utilises real-time data to identify theft hotspots and focus on the top offenders who are causing the most harm. This approach of intelligence-led policing has enabled both police and retailers to take targeted actions, leading to a significant reduction in retail crime and improved public safety.
Strong partnership with retailers
Operation STAND has established new levels of collaboration between Victoria Police and the retail sector.
Through joint campaigns and regular briefings, Victoria Police and retailers collaborate to foster a shared commitment to tackling retail crime.
In just a few months, via Auror, the Operation STAND Police team has made 961 comments to retailers and downloaded nearly 2,000 contributing pieces of evidence.
Community and business engagement
Operation STAND not only emphasises enforcement but also educates retailers on crime prevention and reporting methods. It raises awareness of the broader impacts that organised crime and violent offenders have on the retail community.
Outstanding results
In just a few months, Operation STAND has resulted in 48 arrests and 604 charges worth around $250k, with 15 people remanded into custody. Goods have also been recovered.
Compared to the period prior to Operation STAND, in the last month, Auror data shows there has been a 16% decrease in total reported crime events and crime value at Op STAND stores and a 19% decrease in repeat offenders.
This collaborative effort has disrupted organised retail crime throughout the local government areas, safeguarding businesses and enhancing the community’s sense of security.
Operation STAND is a shining example of how proactive police and retailer collaboration can make a profound impact. By coming together with a common goal to address retail crime, Victoria Police and retailers across the state have succeeded in not only reducing crime but also establishing a new benchmark for effective collaboration. This initiative is a highly deserving candidate for the Police and Retailer Collaboration of the Year Award.